PINK with DETERMINATION
by kona-kari-kiyo
Summary: A human child falls into the pits of Mt. Ebott and survives the impact. Now vulnerable to the threats of the UNDERGROUND, she must trudge her way through hardship in order to return HOME. FIGHTING is not an option. [ Alternative child route. ]
1. Chapter 1

Noise wasn't quite the expectation to wake up to. Waking up didn't even seem like a possibility. Everything stung and ached, the pain becoming more intense upon fully coming to her senses. A low groan exited from the back of her throat, hoarse and cracked. Braving the oncoming pricks of pain, she finally sat up, raising her hand to her head to nurse the pounding headache. There was such little light; where did this come from?

The only source was from above, and curiously, she peered up, finding nothing but white and dust particles floating about. Confusion whupped her about as bad as whatever had happened. Her attention rounded to her hands, an odd softness scraping her palms. Eyes casting down to her fingers, she lifts what she had grasped, finding golden petals and little amounts of pollen. Flowers, all the way down here? Expression scrunched with perplexity, she wasted no time standing to her feet, shuffling around for her belongings: a small but hefty backpack that never left her side. Gathering the contents that had spilled from their place, she slung the pack onto her shoulders once more, and began scouting for an exit of any sort. Finding a pathway to her right, she figured anything would be worse than sitting around like a helpless duckling without its mother.

Cautiously moving forward, her eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough to see where she was going. It didn't take her long to find another source of light – a spotlight, of sorts, centered on a small lump of dirt. Her initial thought was someone had planted something, perhaps more of those golden flowers a few feet behind her? The thought was quickly dispelled when the mound sprouted a flower, similar to the ones she considered, although… flowers didn't pop up from the ground so fast, nor did they have faces.

"Howdy!" cheered a voice. "I'm FLOWEY. FLOWEY the FLOWER! You don't look like you're from around here… You're new to the Underground, aren't you?"

She couldn't find the words. She only stared at the talking flower that grinned so happily. What was she supposed to do? There was no way this could be happening in reality.

"… I guess little old me will have to do. Ready? Here we go!" The girl shook her head, realizing she had missed part of whatever spiel the flower was going on about. Having missed that, she only panicked when she felt something incredibly odd. A strange glow caught her attention, and she looked down to see a small, pink heart.

"See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being! Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV. What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE, don't you?" The flower wasn't giving the girl even the slightest chance to speak or intervene. It was as though she didn't have any choice. "Don't worry, I'll share some with you! Down here, LOVE is shared through… Little white… "friendliness pellets"." Within seconds, she found herself surrounded by tiny, seed-shaped pellets that circled around her. "Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!"

Although highly confused, she tenderly reached out, and her hand grazed against a pellet that aimed right for her. She sharply gasped, drawing her hand back and cradling it. A steady line of red poured out of a cut, and her eyes widened with dumbfounded shock. Drawing her sight up to the flower once again, that sweet-like expression had turned into something twisted.

"You IDIOT. You're just as naïve as you look, little girl." Her eyes lost their shocked spark and instead fade into fear. The flower chuckled sinisterly, surrounding her with the very same bullets as before, only now giving her no option to escape or avoid. "DIE."

She hadn't the time to even scream. Expecting to be sliced and pricked, she braced herself for a horrid impact… that never came. Hesitantly opening her eyelids, she then stood in front of another figure, but one much less intimidating. The figure had eradicated the flower, and then looked toward her with caring, sympathetic eyes, even offering a hand to the girl.

"Are you alright, my child?" The voice was soft, gentle – and very feminine. Shaken, the child took the hand of her savior, staring curiously at her. She had illustrious white fur blanketing her being, and the way it felt on her hands was comforting. Her eyes held a warm hue while her presence just emanated care and protection. The small girl realized she could, at the very least, trust this woman. "I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come here in a long time." She paused to give the girl time to absorb her words, offering a patient smile. "Come along now. Let us see if we cannot dress that wound."

The slightest of smiles appeared on the girl's face as she was guided along by the kind woman. Her initial fear had dissipated, now replaced with some stability. She met the eyes of her guide and grinned wider, a gesture that was warmly returned.

"What is your name, child? I am Toriel." The name sounded odd to her, although it left a pleasant ring in her ears. Receiving an expectant (but soft) look, the girl paused in movement, parting her hand from Toriel's before doing some odd motions with them. Toriel's stare shifted to reluctant confusion, and almost immediately, the child understood. Nodding, she slid her backpack from her shoulders, digging into it to take out a spiral notebook and a pen. Opening the book, she flipped through various pages, all scrawled on with either rushed or precise writing. While the realization began to dawn on her, words were already written on the page and presented to her.

 _'I'm Katie. It's nice to meet you, Toriel. I'm sorry I can't talk with you, but I can't speak.'_ The words on the page surprised Toriel, although she showed no sign of ill-nature. She offered a smile and a nod in understanding, immediately noting the warmness sparking in Katie's eyes. It seemed prevalent that her impairment was often met with a negative reaction, which internally stung the monster. How could anyone abandon such a sweet, young child? It was despicable.

She held out her hand once more to the girl, of which she happily took it. Her acceptance was well-received, which surely pleased Katie. The child was introduced to puzzles and some ways of the Underground, which she contently acquiesced to. She was even shown what to do when she was to encounter a FIGHT with another monster, and took to it very well. A thought soon bumped into the caretaker's mind, and she stopped in the entrance of a long walkway, facing the child to deliver some news.

"I am going to ask something difficult of you, my child. I would like for you to walk down this hall by yourself. But, do not worry, I am not abandoning you." She lifted a hand to gently pat the young girl's head, apologizing with a pained look before scurrying ahead. Katie simply watched, but moved on ahead without much issue. True, there was tension in the air of the strangely long hall, but it wasn't anything she couldn't brush away. It wasn't long until she reached the end, looking around the area for any sign of Toriel. She did notice the seemingly out-of-place pillar, to which she curiously peeked behind to find exactly who she was looking for.

"See, my child? I did not abandon you. I was behind this pillar the entire time, watching." Her grin held her apology, so she had no need to outwardly say it. "There was a reason I had to do that, you see. I needed to test your independence. I have some errands I need to run, and I am afraid you will have to do without me for a little while." Katie's expression slightly faltered, causing Toriel's to do the same. Quickly, she bounced back, an idea surfacing. "I know, I will give you a CELL PHONE." She brandished an out-of-date phone, handing it to the young child. "That way, you will be able to contact me for anything you might need." There was a pause, a bit of an awkward silence as Katie stared at her, hoping to remind her of what they recently established. Embarrassed, Toriel flushed. "Oh, I am very sorry. I had… completely forgotten that you cannot speak. Please, keep it anyhow." The girl nodded. "I must go, now. Stay put, and be good, alright? I will return as soon as possible." With that, she received another pat on the head, and off the woman went to attend to her errands.

She was left with a simple cell phone, and an entire place to explore. Of course, she was instructed to stay put, and she wouldn't want to betray the trust that was placed in her. Time was all she had, now. It took but a few moments for her thoughts to round to where they were before she was attacked, and with it, the headache returned. Something ached in the back of her head. She remembers the injury on her hand, which Toriel must have forgotten to dress. Katie digs into her backpack, taking out a napkin and a bandage, wiping the blood from her hand and quickly covering it, hoping that infection hadn't already intruded. She was surprised that her belongings and supplies made it through the fall.

The fall.

 _The fall._

That's right – she'd fallen down a mountain, although for the love of life, she couldn't remember why or what she was doing there. All she could recall was that she thought her end was upon her, and yet, here she stood with a bandaged hand, a cell phone, and an expectation that a kind stranger would return. Glancing to the phone, she tucked it into a small pocket in her backpack, and decidedly continued forward. Thoughts of Toriel's advice infiltrated when they were needed the most, specifically during puzzles and battles. She saw and met with many strange things, including an introverted ghost who she quickly took a liking to. She picked up coins and even some items, which were stuffed into the recesses of her pack. The adventure was often interrupted with phone calls from Toriel, asking meager questions and just overall checking up on Katie's condition, despite how the girl can't reply. She supposed her picking up was confirmation enough that she was alright.

Random encounters were the most jarring out of the whole experience, and Katie found herself getting nicked and pricked more often than not. The concept of her SOUL dodging bullets of sorts still alarmed her, and she was still getting used to the process. She, however, had gotten used to the glow of her soul appearing now and again. Pink. It was pink – she didn't quite understand why, but she supposed that hearts were normally represented as pink or red, so it didn't leave her wondering for long.

* * *

After quite the journey, the girl happened upon a room with a blackened tree in the upper-center. Its red leaves were scattered about the ground along its base, which the young child bent down to observe. She hadn't seen red leaves since last autumn, and even then, they were rare. A sudden jolt ran through her when her given cell phone rang loudly, only for Toriel to dash towards her moments later. Her expression held tints of shock, relief, and happiness.

"I suppose I had left you for a little too long. Oh, no, you are even more injured than you were earlier… Come along, we will bandage you up immediately." She signaled for her to follow, which she gladly did so. Truthfully, she hadn't even realized how cut up she was, as her objectives were rather scattered while back farther in the ruins.

As the two approached a small flight of stairs, something caught Katie's eye, causing her to stray behind while Toriel entered what seemed to be her home. The item in question was a sparkling star of sorts, undulating frantically in place. Curious, she reached forward to touch the light. Upon making contact, an overwhelming rush of warm overcame her entire body, causing her to panic and jump back a step or two. Out of habit, she peered down, and noticed something jarring: her wounds were no longer there. A glance back to the shining star made her wonder if that was what sealed her injuries. Shaking her head, she bolted up the stairs and into the home, stopping when she nearly slammed into Toriel, of who was waiting for her in the entrance. Katie's panicked state brought a look of concern to her face.

"My child, what is the matter? You look much more shaken up…" A furred hand was brought to the girl's cheek, and then she noticed the disappearance of her wounds, much like Katie had moments before. "Goodness… Your cuts are gone. How did you manage that, little one?"

As her response, she gave a simple shrug, honestly unsure as to how it happened. The woman's expression did not change for a brief moment, then after tucking some hair behind the girl's ear, she stood to her feet and smiled.

"I have a surprise for you," she announced. "I have made you a butterscotch-cinnamon pie! I apologize if it is not to your liking…" Katie shook her head vigorously, waving a hand as to say that she would very likely like what she was given. Sated as she can be, Toriel continued, "And that isn't all." She reached for the girl's hand, and without hesitation, she took it. The young girl was lead into a hallway and stopped in front of a door. "Look, it is your very own bedroom!"

That phrase somehow stung Katie. She stared in awe at the plain door, frozen. This type of commodity wasn't what she had expected at all. Did Toriel truly expect her to stay here and live with her, when she had only just woken up from a nasty spill? In her trance, she had completely missed whatever else her savior had said before scurrying off, leaving her to stand dumbfounded in front of the door. Almost frightened, she stretched her hand forward to cover the knob, feeling the coldness of the metal. It definitely felt like it hadn't been used in a long time. Swallowing harshly, she creaked open the door, peeking inside. The room was as normal as any other child's room. Venturing in further, Katie began to familiarize herself with the furniture and additions. Yet, as she scanned the area, she felt a lump rising from the back of her throat, and her eyes began to mist over. Where this emotion was coming from, or what it even was, she had no idea.

Intensity swelled within her chest and she found herself reaching for the pillow placed pristinely on the bed. Her hands shook as she held it, unsure whether to hug it or toss it across the room. Her body responded with the former option, clutching it tightly to her chest, and then crawling onto the bed to bury her face within the pillow's case. Tears refused to exit. Eventually, her emotional stigma gave out, and she settled into the softness of the sheets. It reminded her of Toriel's fur and comforting hand. Eyelids slowly became heavier and shut gently, her grip on the pillow loosening. It wasn't long before the human child had fallen asleep comfortably atop the bed provided for her by the kind stranger who saved her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Blurry vision clears as blue eyes flutter open, expecting familiar sights and smells. All the commotion must have been a dream, the young girl concluded. It felt real, but there was no possible way any of it could be so. Falling into a mountain, meeting a talking plant, being saved by a goat woman… the story was farfetched, to say the very least. Now relaxed, she sat up, digging for the notebook she always tucked within her backpack. It wasn't only used for talking, but recording events such as dreams. Casually flipping through the pages, she found familiar words and notes of things she remembered. However, she stumbled across a single sentence she recognized: _'I'm Katie. It's nice to meet you, Toriel. I'm sorry I can't talk with you, but I can't speak.'_

Her world came crumbling down. All the events she remembered were true, down to healed wounds from the odd star. Successfully crashed back into reality, a sudden smell pervaded her senses; something sweet. She craned her sight and neck to find a pie slice precariously placed on the floor. She suddenly recalled what the goat woman had said to her earlier, that she had made her a pie. Butterscotch-cinnamon, if she remembered correctly. Highly hesitant, she motioned toward the pastry, examining it before finally lifting the plate into her hands. The smell was appetizing enough, but both her intuition and another jutting feeling prevented her from even taking a bite. Something told her this was to be saved for later. She couldn't rightly just stuff it into her inventory, however, as it was a piece of pie. It would not only dirty the rest of her possessions, but ruin the integrity of the pastry itself. She decided to leave it on the top of the dresser to return to it later.

Exiting the room, she carefully closed the door behind her to prevent Toriel from hearing her leave. It was then she realized she hadn't explored any of the rooms aside from the entrance and the very bedroom she walked out of. Curiosity won over purpose, and she began to wander the hall, checking small drawers, entering other rooms, just shuffling around books. It hadn't even sunk in that she was being intrusive. Granted, Toriel did state that she was supposedly going to be living here – something that still struck Katie to her core. She supposed being forced to live in such a nice home like this was better than being tossed out on the streets (figuratively speaking).

With her curiosity sated, she regained her purpose and wandered out into what she assumed to be the living room. There Toriel sat in a chair, small eyeglasses on her nose as she diligently read a book by the fireplace. She looked like any other consoling mother. The lump from earlier returned to wreak havoc on her morality, but it was quickly swallowed. Instead, she ignored the sight, and continued down a small hall that leads to a kitchen. The air of the room smelled similar to her "bedroom", taking that as this was likely where the rest of the pie was. Disregarding every polite motto ever made, Katie began shuffling through the kitchen's wares, not finding much useful (although she did find a delicious-looking chocolate bar in the refrigerator, which she left in place). She did, however, find some tin foil that she could use to wrap her pie slice in order to take it with her. That was enough inspecting everything with a suspicious eye, she decided, and returned to the living room where Toriel still sat ever so peacefully. All it took was to approach her to gain her attention.

"Ah, Katie, my child – you're awake. Did you have a nice nap?" In response, Katie nodded. "I'm very glad to hear. Is there something you wanted to, er, speak to me about?" The tentative hesitance on the word 'speak' did earn her a drab, flat look in Katie's eyes, although she nodded nonetheless. "Oh? Then what is it, my child?"

Retrieving her notebook from under her arm and the pen from the book's spine, she flipped to an open page and scribed her answer. Admittedly, there was shakiness in her hand as she wrote, due to the uncertainty in her conscience. Despite this, she presented the woman with her written response: _'How do I get home?'_

The words sent Toriel's heart dropping and her eyes wide. Wiping the shock from her face, she wore a panicked smile, even giggling.

"My child, this… is your home, now. Here – I have an idea. I have this book named '72 Uses for Snails'. It contains various interesting facts about snails! Would you like me to read you one? –Did you know that snails… make terrible shoelaces?" Her avoidance was well-perceived by the child, and her question was met with an answer, although perhaps not the one she wanted to see.

 _'Please tell me how to get home.'_

Toriel's expression fell with defeat, but only for a moment. She sighed, closing her book and removing her reading glasses. Standing to her feet, she didn't even look Katie in the eye as she stated seriously, "There is something I must do. Please, wait here." She headed off, in the direction of the entrance. Shocked, Katie jumped, sprinting at top speed to catch up with her. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the woman walking down the stairs, of which she had yet to explore. Where was she going? Something in her panicked; something felt so final about this. Glancing to the tin foil she grabbed earlier, she dashed to the bedroom to pick up the pie slice, carefully wrapping it protectively in the foil before gently setting it with the rest of her belongings. Then, she darted straight for what she guessed to be the basement. At the speed she was going, her footsteps pounded against the hard floor, and Toriel could hear the very obvious echoing steps.

She paused, only to deliver a chilling message, "Please do not try to stop me. I am doing this for your own good, Katie." With that, she carried forward. Fear seeped into Katie's chest, her heart becoming colder and her soul's light dimming. She didn't wish to upset Toriel, but at the same time, she didn't want to remain here. She had only just met this woman, and living with a stranger… just didn't feel like it could work.

Every time she followed, Toriel had stopped to speak another message that only chilled Katie's core. The most disturbing of all, to her, was the one that mentioned a man named ASGORE. Toriel insisted that she was protecting the child from him, that if she left the ruins, he would kill her for her soul. The very thought of being slaughtered brought tears to her eyes, but she forcibly swallowed them. It could just be a scare tactic, in an attempt to make her stay. She fortified herself, and continued forward, regardless of the dangers that were being presented to her. The final stop contained a single, large and intimidating door, while Toriel stood in front of it. Her back was turned.

"This is the door to the rest of the UNDERGROUND. I am going to destroy it." The way her voice stilled kept Katie's soul shivering. "That way, no one can ever come in or get out of the ruins ever again. Now, please, Katie – go upstairs." She couldn't believe the words she was hearing.

Brows furrowing, she took a loud step forward in rebellion, denying Toriel's wishes. She heard a crushed sigh, courtesy of the woman before her, and she turned to face the younger girl. The look in her eyes was as harsh as she'd ever seen from anyone, which to her, said that she was in for something serious.

"You refuse to listen to me? You want to return home so badly? … Fine. Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

The world went black, and the glowing pink heart appeared again. She was going to FIGHT her? The very girl she saved only hours before? Observing her stares, Katie concluded she was serious. She drew a breath, preparing herself to take this on. She did as she was taught. She ACTED, deciding to check her stats, attempting to put together a strategy. With her turn over, Toriel took hers, and began raining fire magic upon the human child. This being the first attack, Katie did get hit, receiving little damage. The burns stung, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

Rounding to Katie's turn again, she viewed her options. Her fingers ghosted over 'FIGHT', but she couldn't bring herself to do it. There was no way she could hurt Toriel, not after all she had done for her. While it was true that she didn't feel the least bit comfortable under her care, she couldn't simply betray her like this. Hurting others was not in her nature. Instead, she swallowed her pride and tapped over MERCY, sparing the woman instead. More fire attacks followed, and now thoroughly distracted by emotion, it was inevitable that Katie was consistently hit. The burns began to ache and sting, but she refused to cry.

After many rounds of this, Toriel couldn't bring herself to harm the child any further. Her attacks purposefully dodged the young soul, and a look of guilt rested on her face. She could see the pain she was in, and realized that she was perhaps in more pain than she was at this moment. Even so, she kept pleading. "Stay with me", "We could live together in happiness", "I promise I will protect you and keep you safe". These phrases did seemingly nothing to convince Katie to stop and turn back. Her determination was far too strong. Eventually, Toriel ceased her attacks.

"I see you have no intention of giving up. You must really want to return home. Ha… I am so pathetic. I cannot save even a single human child." Distress was evident in her face, and the sight broke Katie's heart. The world faded back into color, and Toriel faced the child with a look of ultimate sadness. "I understand. This is… not the place for a child to be raised properly." Her hand rested upon Katie's shoulder, and while resisting tears, her voice shook. "I will allow you move forward. But, please, promise me one thing, my child… when you leave the RUINS, do not ever return."

A pair of warm arms wrapped around the child's being, and even Katie's eyes stung with the desire to cry. Unable to respond, she simply stood while Toriel parted her touch, giving her one last pat on the head. With a heavy heart, she walked past the girl, returning to what was to be the comfort of her home. All Katie could do was stand and watch, letting the reality of what she had done sink into her. But it was for the best. She knew it had to be.

Facing the doors, she raised her arm to push them open, finding them easier to part than she intended. Unsurprisingly, they creaked loudly, revealing a long, stretched hallway. Confused, she started walking; wondering how far down this really went. She came across a doorway that led to nothing but darkness. This set up was oddly familiar, and an intuitive feeling nipped the back of her mind as she advanced on. As she expected, there was a spotlight just like before, and a mound of dirt in the middle of the room. The flower sprouted before her again, and her gaze narrowed.

"Clever." He taunted with an amused look on his petal face. "Verrryyy clever. You think you're so smart, don't you?" In response, she scrunched her face, eyes squinted with disgust. "In this world, it's kill or be killed. So, you were able to play by your own rules. You spared a single life. You must feel so proud of yourself, huh?" It took every fiber of her being to stop herself from stomping on him. The nonsense he was spewing was starting to get to her. "But, what will happen when you face off against a relentless killer? You'll die and you'll die and you'll die, until you tire of trying. What will you do then? Will you kill out of frustration? Or will you give up entirely on this world… and let ME inherit the power to control it? I am the prince of this world's future." The girl parted her lips to scoff, even letting her anger take over temporarily and taking a step forward. Flowey only chuckled, internally noting that the girl has a flaring temper. Such a thing could be used to his advantage later.

"Don't worry, my little monarch, my plan isn't regicide. This is _so_ much more interesting." With his spiel now finished, his face transformed into a nightmarish appearance, cackling a hellish laugh before disappearing once again. His charade hadn't even frightened her this time, and only served to boil her blood even more. He had hurt her, and there was no way she was going to let whatever his plan was come to light.

Stomping off furiously, Katie came across another door. Sighing, she pushed through it with ease, and bright lights poured into the hall. Out of reflex, she shielded her eyes, as so nothing blinded her. Because of this, she expected the outside to be as warm as Toriel's hug was. Instead, a blast of cold air chilled her entire being, and her arms instantly folded in an attempt to cease her shivering. Finally stepping outside, it was a winter wonderland. Snow piled at least one foot above ground, with the exception of a shoveled-through walkway. If Toriel was the only one in the ruins, then why was there such a pristine pathway behind the doors? There was no way she could be going in and out, nor was there any record of anyone doing the same.

Cautiously, she ventured further, snow crunching under her sneakers all the while. She found a tiny comfort in that, as it used to snow by the inches back home, and she used to enjoy playing outside. The makeup of this forest was similar to her neighborhood back home, although somehow, this place felt much colder. Every breath she took fogged in front of her face, and she could feel the blood draining from the tips of her fingers and toes. The shock of the cold had made her completely forget the presence of a jacket and a pair of black leggings stuffed at the bottom of her backpack, so she was left to suffer through the cold.

A sharp crack behind her suddenly warned her of someone – or something's – presence behind her. A split-second whip around proved to Katie that there was no one there, which only raised her suspicions and fears. While unsure but eager to continue, she proceeded to walk, keeping her pace slow. She soon came across what appeared to be an attempt at a barrier-cage, but the bars were spread too widely apart to prevent anyone from going past it. Shrugging it off, she stepped forward to walk through it, but something behind her stopped her from doing so: the sound of crunching snow.


	3. Chapter 3

Frozen, both figuratively and literally, she refused to turn around. The crunching became louder until it desisted. A new voice sounded at a slow pace, "Hey, don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand." It was dull and flat, but masculine. Afraid as to what he might do if she didn't do as asked, Katie hesitantly turned, tucking her notebook under her left arm to raise her right hand to meet his. Looking down, she realized she made a small mistake, and quickly changed hands, as he was offering his left to shake. In doing that, she also noticed something askew – the hand she was about to grab was _skeletal._

Reflex and instinct hindered her from taking the hand, and had she the ability to shriek, she would have done so. The figure let out a questioning sound, before taking back his hand, stuffing it into his jacket pocket.

"Heh, guess you're not gonna fall for that one. Smart kid. Anyway, you're human, aren't ya? That's hilarious." Katie's eyes drew upward, but only slightly, to meet the face – or in this case, skull – of the figure. He was a skeleton. A bona-fide, legitimate skeleton. He waits for some kind of response from her, but when he gets nothing, he peers away from her and to the side awkwardly, soon looking back to her. "I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton. I'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. But… y'know, I don't really care for capturing anybody." He shrugged, expecting any type of reply from the human. She barely moved, not even a tick. The silence was slipping into awkward territory. "Uh, now, my brother Papyrus is a human-hunting FANATIC. Hey, actually, I think that's him over there…" Speaking didn't seem to do much here. The two then stood in silence, and truthfully, Sans wasn't sure what to do. A human appears, and they can't even seem to do anything? What was up with that? It didn't take long for the idea that they might be cold to process in his mind.

"You alright there, kid? Feelin' a little cold? I forget that humans have to keep warm or they, y'know, die."

Snapping out of her trance, Katie blinked rapidly. It turns out she didn't hear a word he said, sans the last part. She nodded at the question. Sans was just thankful the kid finally showed a sign of being alive. In retrospect, he shouldn't have been surprised that she was feeling a little chilly – barely any of her skin was covered, what with that sleeveless shirt hanging on her shoulders and those shorts rolled up as they were. The kid would turn into a popsicle if she walked any farther to Snowdin. Unexpectedly, she seemed prompted to something, and slid off the bag she carried on her back, digging through it and pulling out a jacket; one similar to his own, even. Whoever she was, this kid was prepared.

"Good thinkin', kid. Glad we got that figured out. Anyway, as I was saying, I have an idea. Go through this gate thingy. Yeah, go right through; my bro made the gaps too big to stop anyone." The girl flashed him a look, which he immediately understood as her wanting to deny his request. Seconds of communicative silence passed before she sighed, and begrudgingly moved forward as he had asked.

"Quick, behind that conveniently… shaped lamp." Sans dwindled his phrase, comparing the girl to the lamp that was nicely placed in the snow a few feet to their left. It was not, in fact, conveniently-shaped for her size. She was too tall to just stand behind it, and if she were to sit, she might be too wide. "Eh… go behind the sentry stand, instead. Go, hurry!" She gave him another look of displeasure before sticking her tongue out at him and scurrying toward the stand he was referring to. Once safely behind it, she crouched in the snow, holding her knees to her chest. The coldness of the snow was seeping into her bottom as she was sitting, which sent shivers up her spine, even making her teeth chatter. She may have had fun playing in the snow, once upon a time, but in truth, there was never a bigger freeze-baby than Katie-Lynn Ash.

"'Sup, bro?" From behind the station, she could hear the conversation going on between Sans and, who she assumed, was his brother (whose name she didn't catch on account of spacing out).

"YOU KNOW WHAT "SUP", BROTHER!" This voice… can't seem to be described by any words in Katie's vocabulary. At least it was highly recognizable, so she would be able to know who is speaking when. "IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T… RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES! YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR STATION! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!"

"Staring at this lamp. It has a nice view from behind my station. Wanna see it?"

"NO! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE?! I WANT TO BE READY! I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN!" These words didn't as much as scare Katie as they did confuse her. She could only assume Sans' brother was a skeleton, just like him, but why were they so intent on catching a human? She didn't understand. "THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS—" Oh, there was his name. "—WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE! RESPECT… RECOGNITION… I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD! PEOPLE WILL ASK, TO, BE MY, "FRIEND"? I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING." Katie could feel irritation caused by impatience setting in, resting her chin on her arms while they did the same on her knees. This skeleton talked an awful lot, and her patience was wearing very thin, very quickly.

"Maybe this lamp will help you, if you see it from the right angle."

"SANS! YOU ARE NOT HELPING! YOU LAZYBONES! ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE!" _What kind of a word was that?_ Not one in her middle school vocabulary, that's for sure. "YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!"

"Hey, take it easy. I've gotten a **ton** of work done today. A **skele-ton**." Katie's head instantly parted from her arms when that excuse of a pun rolled into her ears. Was he serious? She could barely believe what was happening.

"SANS!"

"Come on. You're smiling."

"I AM AND I HATE IT!" Papyrus then uttered one of the most forlorn sighs Katie had ever heard in her life. "WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME… HAVE TO DO SO MUCH TO JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION…?"

"Wow, sounds like you're really working yourself… down to the **bone**."

"UGH!" She was right there with you on that groan, Papyrus. "I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES. AS FOR YOUR WORK… PUT A LITTLE MORE "BACKBONE" INTO IT!" Exiting on that terrible pun, he laughed obnoxiously, the laughter fading after only a few seconds, which she took as him leaving. (Although he did come back to leave them with an emphasized "HEH!" before actually, truly leaving.) Once the coast was clear, Katie popped up from her hiding place before Sans could even speak. She dusted herself of snow, and then rejoined the small skeleton she had somehow befriended.

"You oughta' get going. He might come back, and if he does… you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes." He winked, the perpetual smile on his skull beginning to ebb at her impression of him. Without thinking, she cycled through hand formations in an aggravated fashion, then rolled her eyes and turned away to walk.

"Hey, my jokes are great. I didn't think they'd **rattle your bones** that much, kid." He saw her shoulders scrunch and her hands ball into fists, chuckling as she paused in her movements but shortly starting off again. Her mind didn't seem to process what just happened between the two of them – that he actually understood her sign language.

"Hey, actually," he spoke again, stopping the girl in her tracks. She didn't seem happy about it, but this was important. "Hate to bother ya, but could you do me a favor? I was thinking… my brother's been kinda down lately. He's never seen a human before, and seeing you might just make his day." He received no response from Katie. "Don't worry; he's not dangerous, even if he tries to be. Thanks a million. I'll be up ahead." Did he just walk away, assuming that she would do this favor he asked of her? Shoulders slumping, she turned around to give him a piece of her mind, only to find that he was gone. Confused, but more frustrated than anything, she thought he had gone the other way.

There was such little time to absorb the events that happened within the past hours. Mentally and emotionally, the poor girl was fried. Heading down the path, she paused to give herself a break. Visually searching the area, she had hoped to find a sparkling star, like the one outside of Toriel's house. Unfortunately, nothing shiny caught her eye, as there was no presence of one. She sighed sadly, admittedly forwardly looking to feel that strong sense of warmness again. In all of this snow, she prayed for some warmth and comfort. All she found was a box, instead. There was a note left by a signed "box lover", stating she could leave some things inside of it that she could find later. How that made any sense made absolutely no sense to her. Even so, she discarded some items to place in the box, including the piece of butterscotch-cinnamon pie wrapped in tin foil. Somehow, the pie had retained its warmth since she wrapped it, and holding it allowed her hands to receive some of it. Holding it now left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she knew precisely why. Carefully, she set down the pie into its new home, gazing over the slice once more before closing the lid. It was time to go.

Her thirst for exploration now thoroughly withered, she carried on, shifting her backpack as she walked. Eyes trained on her feet, she halted when she heard that distinguishing voice from earlier. It had to be Papyrus. Only then does she gaze upward to find the two skeletons spinning frantically in place, earning a contorted expression from the human. She hasn't even the time to wonder how Sans traveled from the last area to this one, as the two brothers had faced her quickly and Papyrus cleared his throat to begin a speech. (She was getting a little tired of just standing and listening to people talk.)

"HUMAN!" he announced dramatically. He received no reaction from Katie. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU! I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! THEN… THEN…!" His gaze shifted unsurely. There was still no impressed reaction from the girl. "I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S NEXT. IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE… ONLY IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" Dashing off as his exit, Papyrus laughed heartily and the laughter faded as he did into the distance.

"Well, that went well." Came a content grin from Sans. "Don't worry, kid. I'll keep an eye socket out for ya." He, too, disappeared into the pathway ahead, leaving a very listless Katie in his wake. Rolling her eyes, she trudged onward, thinking it couldn't get any worse than it already was. Did she really think this was bad? This was the most adventure she'd ever been on in her entire life, and she was experiencing it all by herself. Wasn't that what she always wanted, she asked herself? Now that these contemplations popped into her mind, she felt even worse than she did seconds ago. She was incredibly keen at letting herself down.

As forward was the only way to go, she progressed, feet slugging through the snow. At least through all this excitement, her blood was flowing properly through her body again, leaving her limbs and digits warmer. The oncoming events proved to keep her moving, as well. Similar to before, random encounters of all kinds surprised the young human, and she repeated her merciful actions. After all, no one seemed to want to intentionally hurt her, as of… yet. Learning of new tactics, strategies, and even gaining some money along the way, her mood started to improve, ever so slightly. To her pleasure, she encountered many dogs, which boosted her resolve significantly. A lover of animals, she couldn't resist the urge to pet any and all pups that showed themselves to her (although there was one dog that… went a little out of control when pet).

Additionally, she often ran into Sans and Papyrus, the latter presenting her puzzles to solve. Due to various reasons, she solved them with relative ease, or even not at all. All the while, Sans praised her for going along with this task, which oddly enough didn't seem to strengthen her purpose. When she stumbled upon a bridge, she stopped all movement when she noticed the skeletons on the other side. Surely, Papyrus was planning something in order to "capture" her, which he has moved exactly 0 steps forward in doing. In hindsight, she supposed it was amusing to see him try, and it did make him happy – very visibly so. In that sense, what she was doing wasn't such a bad idea. Admittedly, the skeletons were growing on her; she was beginning to like them. Never did she think she would see the day that she would actually like skeletons.

Just like all the times before, Papyrus retreated, saying that this puzzle wasn't enough for the human. Once everything threatening was put away, Katie advanced, meeting Sans briefly for him to input his two cents on the scenario. Walking ahead, she couldn't miss the large, hand-made sign that read "Welcome to Snowdin" in inviting letters. She blinked in disbelief. A town, she thought, buried in the snow like this? It was a bit hard to believe, but with the potential of a warm place to stay, she darted toward it. Her spirit lifted to an all-time high upon entering, as in her sights laid an undulating star, shining in all its glory. A large smile cracked her lips, and she could feel tears of happiness forming in her eyes. She had waited hours to find this thing again.

Eager, she dive-bombed the light, relishing in the warmth it provided for her. She had instantly perked, feeling much better since finding the star. In fact, she even touched it an additional two times, just to retain the temperature. It was such a huge relief. Now, she could continue this journey with peace of mind. That is… if she knew exactly what she was doing, which, incidentally, she didn't.

Stopping by the shop that was literally right next to the "save star", as Katie now dubbed it, she stocked up on supplies and information, courtesy of the nice shopkeeper. If she was to get hit as often as she had already, then foodstuffs were essential to replenish. Once satisfied, she leaves the store with a backpack full of supplies, wandering into the rest of the town. There were a variety of monsters littering the area, some young, and some old. At this point, she had become immune to shock, having taken care of that episode already with Sans. These monsters were peaceful, unlike most of the ones she had encountered. They were like… Toriel. A pout replaced her features when the thought intrudes. Why did her chest feel so empty when she thought of Toriel? Why did she feel so… guilty?

Without even realizing it, she had left Snowdin's territory, and walked into a vat of mist. Somewhat alarmed, she wildly looked around, trying to see two feet in front of her when she could barely see an inch. A voice sounded, demanding attention and authority. Immediately, she knew it was Papyrus – who else could have a voice like that? (She had chosen to stop internally questioning why these skeletons can do a myriad of human-like things such a speaking or even produce facial expressions. It just wasn't ethical.)

"HUMAN!" he demanded, only now Katie's attention was his. "ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS. FEELINGS LIKE… THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER. THE ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER'S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS. THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL. THESE FEELINGS… THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW!" She had to admit, he had her going there for a moment. Unfortunately, he was so far off the mark, he didn't know where it landed. She just couldn't bring herself to correct him. "I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WAY. AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT. I DON'T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE. I PITY YOU… LONELY HUMAN." Instantly, something snapped within her core, and her eyes narrowed aggressively. The more he talked, the more she heard insults rolling from his mouth. She felt her hands tighten into fists, as if ready to take something, or someone, out.

"WORRY NOT! YOU SHALL BE LONELY NO LONGER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR…" There was a long pause in his words, and despite seeing only his silhouette, she could tell he turned away from her. "NO, THIS IS ALL WRONG! I CAN'T BE YOUR FRIEND!" Big surprise. "YOU ARE A HUMAN! I MUST CAPTURE YOU! THEN, I CAN FULFILL MY LIFELONG DREAM! POWERFUL! POPULAR! PRESTIGIOUS! THAT'S PAPYRUS! THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD!"

Just like always, the world blackens around the two opponents, and a FIGHT is commenced. Papyrus blocks the way. The usual four choices are presented before the girl, but she doesn't react as automatically. There's something stirring within her, and no matter how she tries to bypass it, the feeling forcibly plants itself. Suddenly, Flowey's words echo in Katie's mind.

 _"In this world, it's kill or be killed."_  
 _"But, what will happen when you face off against a relentless killer? You'll die and you'll die and you'll die, until you tire of trying. What will you do then? Will you kill out of frustration?"_

 _"Or will you give up entirely on this world… and let ME inherit the power to control it?"_

Eyes shutting in fear, the human girl cringed at even remembering these lines. Had she taken something that _vile_ to heart? She wanted to scream, to purge the fear, anger and uncertainty from her body. Her throat wouldn't – _couldn't_ – allow it. Hands race to hold the sides of her head in an attempt to sooth a swelling headache. Every heartbeat echoed in her head, only increasing the pain. The world before her, already black, fades even further, and now Papyrus slowly disappears from sight.


	4. Chapter 4

A pattern was beginning to show itself here. The human girl awoke, once again, in an unfamiliar lodging. A hefty comforter blanket covered her body, providing her warmth, which she was thankful for, but it begged the question: who had left this? More importantly, where exactly was she? This was nothing similar to the décor of the last room she had woken up in. It was much more muted, more monotonous. Her view stretched as far as the ceiling, which urged her to finally sit up. Upon doing so, she felt aches and pains all over her back, and her head pulsed a little, too. How much head damage can she sustain in one day, she pondered?

"HUMAN!" a shriek tore her away from her pounding thoughts, and she made the connection of who it was almost immediately. "YOU ARE WORKING AGAIN! THIS IS WONDERFUL!" Judging from his excited chattering, she gathered that Papyrus was the one to drape the blanket over her body, and likely the one to scoop her away from the bitter cold. Despite reaching that conclusion rather quickly, Katie habitually signed, her fingers asking, "What?" Somehow, Papyrus understood.

"YOU FELL OVER IN THE SNOW AND STOPPED WORKING! I WAS VERY WORRIED! SO SANS AND I BROUGHT YOU HERE TO SEE IF YOU WOULD START WORKING AGAIN."

How in the world did he come to think that? Perplexed, the girl reached for her backpack (which luckily was not far from her) and retrieved her trusty pen and notebook, choosing a page at random and writing. Papyrus curiously watched her movements, unfazed by the fact that she simply wasn't speaking like most people would. Once finished, she set down the pen and held the book open to face him.

 _'I'm alright. Thanks for helping me. I just had a bit of a meltdown.'_

"MELTDOWN? DO HUMANS MELT?" If it wasn't considered rude to slam her face into her book out of frustration at this point, she would have done it. "EITHER WAY, I AM VERY HAPPY YOU ARE ALRIGHT! YOU SHOULD REST HERE FOR THE TIME BEING! SO YOU DO NOT ONCE AGAIN MELT!" He was so serious; it made her smile from trying to stifle snickers. Papyrus took it as gratitude and grinned proudly, himself. Of course she was grateful – she had received help from the very great Papyrus! As she wrote, he could only imagine what praising words would be on that page, knowing how graced she must feel to be in his presence.

 _'That's not quite what I meant, but… thank you. I never got to introduce myself to you or Sans, did I? I'm Katie.'_ It wasn't quite what he was hoping for, but an introduction was appreciated.

"KATIE! THAT IS A WONDERFUL NAME! I HOPE YOU ARE VERY COMFORTABLE, HUMAN KATIE! PLEASE, DO NOT HESITATE TO TELL THE GREAT PAPYRUS IF THERE IS ANYTHING HE CAN GET YOU!"

For the first time since meeting her, he saw her smile genuinely. As a matter of fact, this was the first emotion he'd seen from her at all since meeting her. Perhaps her melting had melted away all those bad emotions, Papyrus wondered silently. He had much to learn about humans, and maybe, just maybe, he could start learning from this tiny female one. She seemed kinder than even most monsters he'd ever met. Sockets trained on the communication book, she raised it to display her request of him. Reading it, his expression incidentally faltered. Somehow, he guessed this would come.

 _'Actually… I do have something to ask of you. Can you tell me how to get home, please? I don't even know where to go.'_

The human was asking for an escape route. Of course she would. The tiny being was lost in the vast world of the underground, confused and scared. But that was a good thing, Papyrus had to remind himself. Humans arrived so scarcely, barely even at all, and King Asgore only needed one more soul to break the barrier. This human's soul could be the one to help them all break free; to live on the surface! But… was that the right choice? The look in her eyes emanated fear and begging. He hadn't seen anyone this crestfallen since Monster Kid missed their chance of seeing Undyne when she came by to retrieve reports. Plus, she was tiny, cute and helpless – a combination that deadly can't ever be resisted.

"OH… I SEE. I AM… NOT COMPLETELY SURE." He lied through his teeth. This was a battle he couldn't fight on his own. "I WILL GO ASK SANS! SO FOR NOW, REMAIN HERE, ALRIGHT? THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL RETURN SHORTLY!" Her smile shined in understanding. If he had a heart, he was almost positive it would have melted at the sight. He scurried from her side straight into his home, where he found Sans lazily strewn on the couch. (He wasn't even watching TV, he was just lying there.)

"SAAANS!" he burst through the door with alarmed vigor. "SANS THERE IS A SLIGHT PROBLEM!"

"Hey, Paps," he greeted, not even moving a millimeter. "How's the kid? She alright?"

"YES, SHE HAS WOKEN UP AND IS JUST FINE NOW. SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS MELTING DOWN, BUT NOW SHE IS FINE! I DID NOT KNOW HUMANS COULD MELT – PERHAPS ALL OF THE SNOW HELPED HER STAY TOGETHER."

"I don't think that's how it works, bro." Now interested, he lifted himself slightly to lean against the couch's arm, sockets trained on his overly-dramatic brother. He did tend to take things to exaggerated proportions, so it wouldn't be surprising if this "problem" was something that could be easily fixed. "Anyway, what kinda problem? Is it a human-care problem, or…?"

"NO, THE HUMAN SEEMS VERY CONTENT. HOWEVER…" Joining his brother, he sat beside him. "SHE HAS… ASKED ME HOW TO HELP HER GET HOME. AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO TELL HER." Now, he understood. It was a question of morals. Sans closed his sockets and sunk further into their couch, his hands lackadaisically stuffed into his jacket pockets. He was never one to react with anything more than a chilled attitude. (Perhaps he'd been living in Snowdin for too long.)

"Oh, that kinda problem. That's a tough one. I know how much ya wanna get into the Royal Guard, but I see why you're not jumpin' on the chance to shove her at Undyne. Whaddya feel you should do? Do ya wanna help the kid?" Truthfully, Sans wasn't sure he could give direct advice about how to solve this issue. However, had had promised someone that he would keep the girl safe, and as much as he hated keeping promises, this one was kind of a special exception. Aside from that, he knows his brother. He cares a tremendous amount about everyone, which now included this rogue human girl.

"YES IT IS A PROBLEM! IF I GIVE HER TO UNDYNE, SHE'LL GIVE HER TO KIND ASGORE… AND KING ASGORE WILL…" Papyrus heaved a sigh, clearly conflicted. He didn't normally agonize over a decision to this degree, which proved how serious he was about it. "I WANT TO HELP HER! BUT… I WANT TO HELP EVERYONE DOWN HERE, TOO. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT CHOICE IS."

"Maybe you're just lookin' at it the wrong way, bro. Remember how earlier today, you were tellin' me how you had this great feeling that a human was gonna come by? Well… I've got a feeling that this one's special. Maybe taking her soul isn't the only way."

"HMM… YES, I FEEL AS THOUGH YOU ARE RIGHT, SANS. BUT IF UNDYNE SHOULD FIND OUT…" There was the catch. Undyne was on top of just about everything in the Underground, and there was no way she wouldn't catch wind of a human's presence.

"Just find a way to keep Undyne from findin' her. Tell her she's wearing something different, or something." What better way to fool someone than to lie, after all?

"SANS, YOU ARE BRILLIANT!" Papyrus jumped to his feet, radiating eager energy. This may have been just what he needed. "UNDYNE WILL NEVER FIND HER IF I DO THAT!"

"Hehe, nah, I'm not the smart one here. You'd better go tell her she can start planin' on going home. I'm sure she'll be happy." Content, Sans sunk into the recesses of the couch once more, obviously intending to fall back asleep.

"NYEH HEH HEH! ALRIGHT, I WILL TELL THE HUMAN WHERE TO GO SO THAT SHE MAY RETURN HOME WHERE SHE BELONGS!"

"You go, bro. I'll be here." A swift tip forward and Sans' hood falls over his skull, blocking his sockets from sight. He was certainly settling down to go back to sleep. He could have gone with Papyrus to visit their guest, sure, but he was also positive that he would insist the girl stay at least for the night. After an episode like that, she had no choice but to accept and recuperate. It was better than staying in the inn a few blocks down – she would be staying in the garage for free. He had hours to decide when to pop in and visit her.

Papyrus returned to the human's side, finding her curled up in the comforter he had provided her. She must have heard him enter, as she stirred and sat up, meeting him with anxious eyes. He could grin as brightly as he wanted to, as he had great news to deliver.

"I HAVE MADE A DECISION, HUMAN. AND I KNOW NOW HOW TO HELP YOU!" She shuffled from the blanket, kicking herself free of its hold and nods vigorously in Papyrus' direction. Judging by the smile on her face, she was enthusiastic to hear what he had come up with. "IF YOU CONTINUE OUT OF THE CITY, YOU WILL GO THROUGH A PLACE CALLED WATERFALL, THEN HOTLAND. KEEP GOING THROUGH AND YOU WILL REACH THE CAPITOL! THEN, YOU MUST SIMPLY TALK TO KING ASGORE AND HE WILL LET YOU OUT!" The explanation provided sounded much easier than Katie expected. She felt as though there was some catch to it, but she was too frightened to ask. She could _trust_ Papyrus. He had helped her, after all. He didn't leave her to freeze to death out in the snow; he brought her into a warm place and gave her amenities she likely wouldn't have gotten otherwise. Although he seemed initially so intent on capturing her… he was nothing but a kind soul. She had to believe in that.

"HE IS VERY KIND, AND WOULD LOVE TO HELP YOU!" Disregarding this comment, Katie rose to her feet and haphazardly threw her arms around his ribcage, pressing her cheek to the end of his sternum. He was oddly warm for a skeleton. She expected something much… colder; much harder. Of course, her face was cushioned by the fabric he wore over himself.

Papyrus simply laughed, raising a gloved hand to pat her gently on the head. Katie was beginning to think this as a common action among all monsters down here. "ALTHOUGH I WILL ASK YOU TO PLEASE STAY HERE FOR ONE NIGHT! YOU NEED TO RECOVER FROM YOUR MELTING!" His request was met with a nod as a sign of her confirmation (as she still couldn't find it in her heart to correct his assumption). She released him shortly after. "YOU MAY EXPLORE THE TOWN, BUT PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE IT!" Bidding only a few more words as his farewell, the skeleton laughed as he exited, leaving the human child to herself once again.

Once she was sure he had left, her expression fell, as did her shoulders. A thought occurred to her while he was gone. Did she truly want to return to the surface? What did she have waiting up there for her? A sullen glance cast to her backpack gave her the answer: "nothing". She tried hard to remember the reason why she was at that mountain, but it wasn't coming. Had she simply blocked that out, or was it because of all the brain damage that she's very likely endured? Questions, all pertaining to her purpose, flooded her mind, but were hastily tossed away. This was why her body had given out on her earlier. She had a nasty habit of bottling everything inside for various reasons, a partial one being that she can't express anything vocally anymore. That fact destroyed her mentality. It destroyed an awful lot about her.

"—ey, Kid?" A familiar voice carried to her ears, but she still didn't move. "Kid?" Receiving no response, the voice prompted her more sternly. "Katie!" Her consciousness swerved back to the present, and she raised her head in attention. At her door stood a slouching Sans leaning against the frame. How long had he been standing there? … How long had _she_ been standing here? "You're not lookin' too hot. Maybe you should tuck back in for a nap. Sleep is the best thing for ya. Trust me, I know."

Katie manually responded, _'I'm not tired. Thanks, anyway.'_

"Y'know, sleep can solve a lot of things; not just being tired." He entered the garage, moving far enough to where he could lean on the wall across from her. "Not gonna lie, kid, you look like hell." He fully accepted the spiteful look he received. She can get angry all she wants, but she knows what he says is true. "How old even are you?"

 _'Fourteen.'_

"Thought so. Way too young to be looking that stressed out." He paused, white pupils rounding to the backpack on the floor that he never saw her without. She was either an incredibly diligent student, or intently prepared for something. Sans would bet on the latter idea. The kid didn't seem to carry any school-related items, anyhow. "Why don't you grab your book? Come on, I know a great place to get some grub, and you look like you could use some meat on your bones." As expected, her head and shoulders dipped as if she was groaning, and he couldn't help chuckling. Her reactions were almost as funny as the jokes themselves.

The girl bended down to pick up her notebook and its accompanying pen before standing to face Sans. Even if she had to sit through his groan-worthy puns, the idea of getting some warm food in her stomach was beyond appetizing. The duo left the odd comfort of the skeletons' garage and entered into the snowy fray. In any other location, Sans would have used his "special shortcut", but they were still within territory boundaries. Besides, he didn't want to freak the kid out too much. The poor thing was already jostled enough.

Grillby's was as packed as usual, full of pleasant mumbling among friends and acquaintances. The place was surprisingly bright and inviting, something that the young teen wouldn't have expected out of a monster hang-out. Everyone had greeted Sans upon his entrance, though casting weary glances toward his companion. Katie ignored them the best she could. The skeleton had already picked where they would be seated; right at the bar across from the bartender. He offered her the seat beside him, which she took, setting her notebook down on the counter on an open page in case she had to say something. She barely batted an eye toward the flaming bartender, far past the point of questioning everything she looked at. It didn't take long for a menu to be plopped into her hands, courtesy of the one who brought her.

"Pick out whatever you'd like," he insisted, as if he knew already what he wanted. Shooting him a precarious glance, she viewed the items, then tapping Sans on the shoulder and pointing to her choice. "Grillby – two orders of 'burgs." He plucked the menu from her possession and handed it back to the owner, who only nodded and retreated to the kitchen. It seemed Sans was not intent on keeping the silence between them long.

"Hey, Kid." No reaction. "Alright – Katie." Now, her eyes were on him. "You drive a hard bargain. Then again, you don't seem like a very soft kid. You humans are pretty complex, huh?" He chuckled, reaching across the counter for a bottle of ketchup. "At least, you are. Or… are ya just hiding something from us?"

She shot him a look, as if offended, and slid her book to the open space between them on the table. Taking her pen, she jotted down words, her hand movements mirroring her obvious emotion. _'What are you even talking about? Don't talk cryptically. Middle-school education here – I don't understand that much.'_

"Heh, relax. I'm just checkin' up on ya. I don't know what you've been through, but it looks like more than enough." The cap to the bottle was removed with a flick of his wrist, carefully set down close by as so it isn't forgotten. "Papyrus is pretty fond of ya, y'know. He flipped when he saw you crash head-first into the snow." _Well, that would explain the headache._ "He picked you up and rushed you over to our house yelling, 'the human stopped working! She needs help!'" Katie's eyes softened, a little surprised to hear this story.

 _'I… didn't know. I thought you guys needed my—'_

The thought couldn't be finished due to the plates set down in front of both customers. Not expecting the food to arrive so quickly, Katie blinked with surprise. Her eyes sparkled and her mouth watered as if this was the first time she'd seen food in days.

"Eat up, Kid. You deserve it." Sans chuckled, setting down the ketchup bottle to slide it toward her. She anxiously took the bottle, removing the bun to tip the ketchup on top of the burger's contents. The condiment, however, seemed to have other plans than to decorate her plate. "Try tapping the bottom a couple times. That usually gets it out." Doing as suggested, she palmed the bottom of the bottle, waiting for the ketchup to trickle—

With a sickening _'splat'_ sound, the entire ketchup bottle unloaded itself right onto the burger, even spreading out to the porcelain plate. Katie stared. Whether it was in horror, bemusement, or even anger couldn't be deciphered. Slowly, she tilted the now-empty bottle upright, but it never touched the counter. Instead, the object was sharply discharged toward the laughing Sans, expecting to be shattered or to at least clonk him on the skull. Against her anticipations, it was now snugly fit between his bony palm and fingers.

"Too slow, Kid. I got'cha now." The makeshift weapon was set down, pushed to the side so the girl could no longer wield it. In order to make up for his prank, he switched the two's plates, giving her his clean burger while he took the one drenched in ketchup. "You can take mine. I'm not all that hungry." Thoroughly insulted, Katie tipped her head down while her hands grasped what was now her food. More ravenously that she intended, she stuffed the burger into her mouth, big bites filling her cheeks. She could say whatever she wanted, but the girl was hungry. He supposed he couldn't blame her – she probably had very little to eat over this past day. That was likely another reason why she had passed out right before battling Papyrus; she exhausted her body while it ran on very little resources.

Unsurprisingly, she took very little time to finish eating. Sans could tell instantly that she felt much better compared to earlier. Once she was done, he hopped off the barstool, signaling her to follow. Grabbing her notebook, she did the same, tailing him. They exited the establishment with Sans commenting, "Just put it on my tab, Grillby." The walk home commenced, the skeleton filling the silence with banter and puns. Katie reacted differently than she had – she actually snorted, laughed and giggled joyously.

It turned out all she needed was good food and a little company to perk right back up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I don't want to make a habit of writing these into the story because, personally, I feel like they break immersion, but I also feel as though I should say something so people don't think... well, I don't know. But, as you can already tell, this story is diverging from canon rather significantly. It will continue to do so. I apologize as I know that my dialogue isn't my strong suit. But, please, enjoy the rest of the story. I do have plots in mind for future chapters that, I pray, will be interesting.**

* * *

"You sure you got everything, Kid?"

"YOU NEED TO BE THOROUGHLY PREPARED BEFORE VENTURING INTO THE WATERFALLS!"

Overnight, the skeleton brothers had grown attached to the human child. When Sans and Katie returned from eating, Papyrus had insisted that the three of them spend time together before she had to leave. They ended up giving her a tour of their house, Papyrus attempted to make dinner, and they all sat on the couch to watch this television show that Papyrus very much enjoyed. What with how well the evening went, Katie had actually reconsidered leaving. If she were to stay with the skeletons, then she wouldn't have to be found out, nor would she have to trudge into treacherous territory trying to return home. Somehow, the idea of living with them appealed to her, but the reminder of turning down Toriel and opting to live with the skeletons would haunt her for the rest of her days. As much as Katie enjoyed her time with Sans and Papyrus, she hadn't a choice but to move on.

The two were acting as though they'd never see her again, like parents bidding farewell to their child going off to college. Katie giggled, highly bemused by their antics. It was time for her to leave Snowdin and continue her journey to return home on the surface, whether she wanted to or not. Of course, she wasn't allowed to leave without saying goodbye to those who took care of her. Papyrus was the one insistent on doing so. He had also insisted on giving her his cell phone number, despite knowing she very well can't talk when calling, and the phone doesn't seem to receive text messages.

Giving them her farewell, she started off towards Snowdin's exit, waving at the skeletons as she left. Only when they were completely out of sight did she focus on the road ahead, looking forward to whatever tidings the next area would provide her. The mist from earlier faded into the air as mysteriously as ever, although the reason why was explained once it dispersed enough to see the pathway. The air dwindled into lukewarm temperatures with occasional gusts of cold. Snow had melted to reveal sturdy but wet pavement. This was the kind of weather Katie could bask in. It wasn't quite balmy enough for her to remove her jacket, so she kept it zipped, hand stuffed comfortably into her pockets as she took her sweet time walking. Sounds of rushing water were often considered relaxing, and she could now see why.

A serene breath of air filled her lungs as she could finally relax for the first time since she had arrived in the Underground. This may have been the time to reconvene with her thoughts and purposes, but of course, as soon as the idea wormed its way into her mind, it was quickly bashed by none other than… Sans?

Stopping shortly, she noticed Sans, the skeleton she had only just bid goodbye to, planted at a small sentry station across the way. He didn't seem to notice her. A choice appeared either to approach or ignore him, but she was simply too stunned to care. Decidedly strolling past him, she tossed a snide look in her eye at him, to which he silently shrugged and smiled right back. No words were exchanged, but they knew exactly what the other was saying. Now past that obstacle, she came across a large waterfall beside a box similar to the one she saw earlier. It still made absolutely no sense how the box could just teleport, but at this point, questioning things logically just didn't seem smart.

Calling a pit stop, Katie unloaded some items into the box while avoiding the sight of the silver-wrapped pie piece that still lay in the bottom of the container. She wasn't going to repack that item for a very long time. In its place, she stocked her backpack with food and healing items. While not entirely positive, she was starting to guess a pattern in reference to her so claimed "save stars". She had only seen a total of two – one in the ruins, and one in Snowdin. She felt it safe to assume that there would only be one in this patch, as well. Once satisfied, she shouldered her inventory, and continued forward, albeit hesitantly. There was a single way across this waterfall, which was to walk directly into the water and come out the other side. After freezing into an icicle, the idea of stomping around in chilling water didn't sound so appealing. But, it had to be done. Katie sucked in a breath and charged forward, whimpering every so often and narrowly avoiding getting hit by a falling rock. Relief rushed into her lungs when she arrived on the other side, victorious. Her shoes may have been damp, but at least she could proceed.

She didn't have to live with the constant 'squish' sound of her shoes for long as she found a fat row of tall grass. It may not have the most direct way of drying, but it was better than nothing. Ushering forward, there was an attempt to thoroughly dry her shoes when an ominous noise alarmed her. Luckily, she was already crouched close to the ground, or she would have been easily spotted by whoever was out there. Although unable to see much through the grass blades, she could still spot portions of light and color shining, while her ears picked up a very familiar voice; one that she hadn't heard too long ago.

"H-HI, UNDYNE… I'M HERE WITH MY DAILY REPORT…" It was Papyrus. A daily report? Just what was he talking about? "UHHH… REGARDING THAT HUMAN I CALLED ABOUT EARLIER… HUH? DID I FIGHT THEM?" The tone of his voice didn't sit well in her chest, and she dreaded what was to be said next. "Y-YES! OF COURSE I DID! I FOUGHT THEM VALIANTLY!" A bitter lie, not that his superior would know. "WH-WHAT? DID I CAPTURE THEM…? W-W-WELL… NO. I TRIED VERY HARD, UNDYNE, BUT IN THE END… I FAILED." Katie silently gulped, feeling a sudden pang of guilt for her actions. The situation was truly black and white. Had she been caught, she likely would have died, but now that she was released… Papyrus was going to get in trouble.

"—W-WHAT? YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THE HUMAN'S SOUL YOURSELF?" Katie's eyes snapped wide open. Through the parted sections of grass, she could see Papyrus approaching an armored figure, as if begging. "BUT, UNDYNE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DESTROY THEM! YOU SEE… YOU SEE…" The menacing figure turned around and he backed away. "… I UNDERSTAND. I'LL HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN." Then, he retreated, sounding more defeated than she had ever heard. She could hypothesize that he'd been scolded by his superior, of who was on the hunt for _her_. She was the only human present in the entirety of the Underground, as far as she knew. But she couldn't lose faith; not now! She had to get to the Capitol to see the King. She had to get home… she just had to.

Regaining some shaky purpose, she moved in order to stand, shuffling the grass in the process. The ground rumbled with booming footsteps not even a second after. Freezing in place, she dared not to move, her body trembling. The armored figure wielded a glowing spear, aiming it directly at her place in the grass. Seconds lasted much longer than they should before the spear was dispelled, and the figure backed away, disappearing. Katie shoved oxygen out of her lungs, not even realizing she had held her breath. Carelessly stumbling to her feet, she dove out of her convenient hiding place. A small figure followed her footsteps, dashing out alongside her. It was surprising to say the least, as she hadn't seen anyone enter with her.

"Yo! Did you see that?! The way she looked at you… That was… _awesome_! I'm _so_ jealous! What'd you do to get her attention? Haha! Come on, let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!" An excitable monster child rambled like there was no tomorrow before promptly sprinting off. Katie couldn't even make a remark, they had moved so fast. Unsure of whether or not to shake that off, she dusted herself and gathered her belongings, continuing forward. At least, she knew she wasn't _technically_ alone in this endeavor.

The next regions involved puzzles with blooming flowers to create pathways. Katie quite enjoyed the squeals made by the flowers when she picked them up, and was pleasantly surprised to see them remain sturdy as she walked over them. Even more jolting was the sudden ringing from the cell phone, reminding her of its presence. Stumbling to answer it, she nearly dropped it before she could hear who was on the other end.

"HELLO! THIS IS PAPYRUS! I AM CALLING TO CHECK ON YOU, HUMAN KATIE!" He really didn't need to add her species to her name. "SO… WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?" There it was. _There_ was the question that sent even more chilling volts down her back than any other thing she had heard since starting this journey. She stammered audibly with the help of her harsh breath. "I'M ASKING FOR A FRIEND!" Papyrus defended. "SHE THOUGHT SHE SAW YOU WEARING A BLUE JACKET, LIKE THE ONE YOU WORE BEFORE YOU LEFT. ARE YOU STILL WEARING THAT? –BREATHE ONCE FOR "YES" AND NOT AT ALL FOR "NO"." At least he understood her lack-of-voice predicament, even if the request was odd. Begrudgingly going along with it, she sighed harshly into the receiver, indicating that she was still wearing the jacket she had been wearing since leaving Snowdin. "AH, SO YOU ARE! I GOT IT! HAVE A NICE DAY!" The line went dead, telling her that he had hung up. She playfully rolled her eyes before stuffing the phone back into place. It soon occurred to her that Papyrus was likely going to confirm his "friend's" suspicion of her. She dropped her pack to return her jacket into her inventory, leaving her arms uncovered.

The journey continued once she reequipped her backpack, entering the door into a serene hallway with gently glowing blue flowers. She heard whispers among them, but they seemed to repeat themselves. They vaguely reminded her of a certain plant that she wished not to remember, but he had nestled a way into the recesses of her conscience. It _pained_ her to admit that to herself. She _hated_ that flower. Katie had never considered herself a very angry person. Aloof? Perhaps, but "angry" was a completely different story. There were so few things in her life that she legitimately despised, but that flower had pushed itself to the top of the list. The fact that she had only met him twice didn't soothe this at all. She had seen what he was truly like, and that was enough to shove him even deeper into the dirt.

The hall soon branched off into a different path, and on the opposite wall stood a telescope. Curious, as she would be, Katie bent downward to sneak a peek through it. Star-like crystals twinkled brightly against the ceiling, filling her with awe. Oddly enough, there seemed to be a message scribed onto the telescope lens, which she could only see when it was pitted against a bright light. "Check wall". Parting from the scope, she gazed toward the wall that this clue was directing her to. She did as hinted, and the wall crumbled into a doorway. This was one of the least strange things she had run into all day.

Somehow, darkness was more prevalent in this vicinity, sans the crystals sparkling as lights. Her attention was drawn toward the wall ahead, as multiple, lit-up tablets were plastered all the way down the line. The first one read, "The War of Humans and Monsters". She was instantly intrigued. She had never heard of such a thing; not in school, not from her mother… she didn't believe monsters _existed_ until recently. Katie simply proceeded down the line.

 _Why did the humans attack?_  
 _Indeed, it seemed that they had nothing to fear._  
 _Humans are unbelievably strong._  
 _It would take the SOUL of nearly every monster just to equal the power of one human SOUL._

 _But humans have one weakness._  
 _Ironically, it is the strength of their SOUL._  
 _Its power allows it to persist outside the human body, even after death._

 _If a monster defeats a human, they can take its SOUL._  
 _A monster with a human SOUL…_  
 _A horrible beast with unfathomable power._

She didn't know this. She wasn't privy to any of this information. It frightened her.

Was this the reason why everyone wanted her soul so badly? To give it to their King so he could gain unfathomable power? Was _this_ what Toriel was trying to warn her about?

Suddenly weak, her knees buckled, and she fell to the wooden-planked floor with the force of her body weight. Surely that would leave bruises on her knees, but that wasn't where her attention laid at the moment. All she could think about was that she was going to die here. She would never be able to return home.

 _Why would you **want** to?_ The question reared its ugly head mercilessly. The headache returned. What was she **doing** here? Emotions churned and twisted in her chest before settling into a nice, cold cover that spread throughout her body. That was about all she could feel.

She picked herself up, dragging her feet to a tiny platform that rested against the dock. The raft carried her to the other side, allowing her to continue down this path. Darkness reigned supreme in this region, as well, but a single, large light source seemed to guide her vision. She kept her head down.

The entire dock shook with might when a glowing spear stabbed into planks, even jerking Katie out of her funk. A figure appeared on the ridge above – the same figure that she had seen earlier with Papyrus. It was safe to assume that it was his superior. It was also safe to assume that she should _run_. But her mind was clouded with doubts and insecurities. Subconscious begged the question, "why run? Why not let it hit you?" Intrusive thoughts had no place in her, she forced herself to think. That never stopped them before.

Without a single say, her fight-or-flight instinct kicked in, and she _booked_ it. Spears were thrown haphazardly in her general direction, aiming to kill. The dock swerved into corners and curves, throwing the girl completely off direction. She would trip, she would fall, and she would have to stumble. Every time a blade caught her, her soul was bombarded with unavoidable arrows, chipping away at her health. Blood dripped from open cuts, stinging with pain. She thought she would be used to the pain by now, but it never failed to hurt.

A simple misstep causes her to come tumbling down, and her wounds don't allow her to lift herself. The girl whimpered helplessly, unable to even reach into her pack to retrieve something that could heal her. She lay trembling on the dock while the armored woman stood high above her, raising a spear menacingly. Katie didn't even dare to look as the weapon was plunged cruelly into her back, shattering her dim soul into fragments.

* * *

She messed up. Even she could tell that. She let her emotions get the better of her, and she lost focus. She lost her purpose. Utterly crushed, she felt a mixture of cold and wetness. Was this what death felt like? What having her soul ripped from her body felt like? It wasn't as piercing as she imagined, but she supposed she ought to be thankful for that. Human souls, as she read, are very strong. She could be feeling the leftover pain from her death, she assumed. However… distant noises paraded in the background. Could she still hear things, she wondered? –In fact, how could she still be thinking if her consciousness was supposedly gone?

As a test, she tried to repeat an action she was very well-versed with: opening her eyes. It was still dark, but, surprisingly _not_ as dark as before. As another test, she flexed her hand. Yes, there were the muscles… to her physical being. Completely alarmed, removed what was causing the darkness – her very own arms. Her face was dug into her jacket sleeves, which had been resting on her perfectly fine knees. Her eyes widened with fright as she attempted to jump to her feet, stumbling and falling in the process. A familiar cold sensation ran along her spine. _Snow_! It was snow!

Finally lifting her entire body, which she initially thought was gone, she found herself in a place that she had also thought she left. Snowdin. All the monsters were out and about, chattering among themselves happily. Nothing seemed out of place than the last time she was here. But, _she?_ She was perfectly unharmed, as if she had never sustained any injuries from spears. She wanted to shriek.

 _No, stay calm,_ she told herself. Papyrus or Sans must have found her and brought her back to take care of her. That would explain the lack of injuries – but not the lack of bandages, or warm blankets. If either skeleton brother had found her, they surely would have put her back into their garage like they had before. Then why was she out in the bitter cold snow? Something else had to have happened.

Scooping up her backpack, which was oddly beside her, she realized something else strange. It was lighter than before. Maybe someone had force-fed her the items that she bought? That might explain why she wasn't bandaged. No, that was another faulty explanation – there was no way she would be able to eat or drink something without choking, if someone had forced it to her. The more she thought about it, the more panicked she became. Something huge had happened, and she was forty feet away from the loop.

Quickly, she dashed into the nearby shop, and spoke with the keeper. She explained to her how she rarely saw fresh faces in Snowdin, and that Katie's was the first one since Sans and Papyrus had shown up. But Katie knew that couldn't possibly be. Instead of interrogating the poor rabbit, she rebought the items from before, and exited without as much as a word. (Her money had somehow replenished itself, as well.) Still highly on-edge, she began re-exploring the town. Everything was the same as it was when she… had first arrived. That couldn't have been, right? That wasn't how things logically worked. There was bound to be something different! But no matter how much she scavenged, she couldn't find a single thing that was out of place from the first time she came to Snowdin.

Her eyes darted to the pathway that led out of the town and into the Waterfalls. This was the final test. Stomping forward with purpose, she was determined to see if this outrageous hypothesis she had developed was true. The mist once again surrounded her, but she completely disregarded that. Moving further, her footsteps slowed upon spotting a very familiar silhouette just a few feet in front of her.

"HUMAN!" _There it was._ "ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS." _This was exactly what she had feared._ "FEELINGS LIKE… THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER. THE ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER'S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS. THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL. THESE FEELINGS… THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW!" _She knew this speech._ "I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WAY. AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT. I DON'T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE. I PITY YOU… LONELY HUMAN. WORRY NOT! YOU SHALL BE LONELY NO LONGER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR… NO, THIS IS ALL WRONG! I CAN'T BE YOUR FRIEND! YOU ARE A HUMAN! I MUST CAPTURE YOU! THEN, I CAN FULFILL MY LIFELONG DREAM! POWERFUL! POPULAR! PRESTIGIOUS! THAT'S PAPYRUS! THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD!"

Everything fell to black. Papyrus blocks the way. FIGHT, ACT, ITEM or MERCY?

 _Katie was repeating the earlier day's events **flawlessly**._


	6. Chapter 6

_"Papyrus, please, stop this! It's me, Katie! Don't you remember?!"_

Communication was null. As much as her brain begged her to scream, her throat couldn't allow her to. It would bring much more pain than she was currently feeling. She was forced to bend, jump and dodge every bone that was thrown her way, getting hit every so often. She knew he didn't mean it. He was only doing his job. But the burning question remained: why didn't he remember her? Why couldn't he remember the experiences they shared together only yesterday?

The memories stung her as badly as his attacks. He truly wanted to capture her, to deliver her to Undyne so the soldier could extract her soul from her body – to give to their King. She remembered the story about the war between monsters and humans, yet she still couldn't bring herself to believe that her soul was what Papyrus really wanted. He was too kind to her. He wanted what was best for her, no matter the consequences. He wanted to protect her.

At least, that's what she thought.

A rebellious bone flies low to the ground, catching the girl off-guard and effectively tripping her. She flopped face-first into the snow, silently praying in thanks that she was too cold for the mishap to hurt. Her health was low, but she refused to do anything about it. Loud crunching told her Papyrus was approaching her, his thin frame towering over the fallen human. She made no movement, despite still being conscious.

"HUMAN! YOU HAVE NOW BEEN DEFEATED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY CAPTURED YOU!" Still no response. "… HUMAN?" His voice held genuine concern. "OH NO – I DIDN'T HURT BADLY YOU, DID I?!" Was he legitimately worried about hurting her? After he had just finished mopping the floor with her soul?

A hand twitched before gripping at the snow, and begrudgingly, she lifted herself with harsh grunts of effort. Papyrus' sockets sparkled with hope and he scooped the small girl up into his arms excitedly. If Katie could squeak, she would have. This was not the reaction she expected.

"YOU ARE UNHURT, HUMAN!" She swore she heard his voice crack. "I AM SO THANKFUL!" He parted the tiny girl from his torso, lifting her easily into the air as if she weighed an ounce. "NO NEED TO WORRY, TINY HUMAN! I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU WHILE YOU ARE CAPTURED! I HAVE A VERY COMFORTABLE ROOM ALREADY SET UP!" Was she a pet or a guest? She was beginning to feel like a pampered dog. If she hadn't the memories from earlier events, she would have sworn that's what Papyrus considered her to be.

The girl was plopped into the mess of blankets in the skeletons' garage. Papyrus left her to go inform Sans of her capture, but promised to return shortly to check up on her. Katie wrapped the fabric around her being protectively, still slightly shaking from being beaten so thoroughly. He had drained her health significantly, but his intent was not to kill her. Not like Undyne's was. She was still trying to curve her mind around what happened. It didn't make sense. Time didn't work like this – no one could repeat the exact same actions unless they made sure of so on purpose. No one in town remembered her. They all acted as though they were meeting her for the first time, but she knew all their faces, even if not by name. Most importantly, Papyrus didn't remember that he had already been through that pre-battle speech, but this time, they actually fought.

Flipping through her notebook didn't help. There was no record of any of her conversations with Sans nor Papyrus. It was as though she had never talked to them, never experienced anything with them. Why did that idea hurt her so much? Frustrated, she dunked the book to the floor, a loud, sharp 'thump' sounding. Yeah, that matched her emotions at that moment.

"Wow, Kid," she heard from the doorway. "Didn't think ya had that much anger in ya. What's eatin' ya?" Sans. She was not in the mood to deal with his antics. When she remained seated, not even so much as turning, he took that as an invitation inside. It was his garage, after all; he could come and go as he pleased. He shuffled lazily to where the child sat, plunking himself beside her. The silence was deafening, but neither party seemed too affected. Sans had yet to see this kid so down. She wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine by any means, from his experience, but looking depressed just didn't suit her. Sadness never suited any child.

The silence played for a while longer before Sans spoke, his grin turning slier, "I'd tell you a chemistry joke, but I know I wouldn't get a **reaction**." He saw the look in her eyes change, telling him that she understood. He chuckled in her place while she grabbed at the book she slammed down, fumbling to grasp it. "Hey, Kid, have you read the book about **hands**? It's a real **page turner**." She finally gripped it and used it to smack Sans' arm, shoulder, skull – whatever she could reach. The skeleton laughed, knowing that would have provoked her. "Y'know, maybe you should publish that book – **feels** like it'd be a real **hit**." He chuckled feverishly as she took the chance to whap him a few more times. He waved his hand dismissively, a blue glow surrounding his fingers. The movement of the book at stopped completely, and Katie found that she was unable to move her hands. "Alright, Kid, that's enough. I get the point." Her weapon receded as she pouted, but the look in her eyes read "I'm sorry".

"Now that I've pulled you outta that shell, would ya tell me what's goin' on?" She pulled the cover away from her book, clearly about to write, but he didn't need to see the words to know what she wanted to say. "Don't say nothin's wrong. I can read it on your face. You don't hide your emotions well, y'know." Ignoring the potent pout she gave him, he could tell she knew she was caught. While Sans normally wouldn't care about the girl, there were two reasons that made him need to. Aside from that, she seemed to be a trustworthy enough kid, and if he could ease her troubles, then maybe it would help him feel like a better person.

Having expected a written response, he was startled when she stood, book grasped in one hand while she took his wrist in the other. She seemed to know where she was going, leaving the garage and headed straight down the snowy path. Confused but willing, Sans allowed her to drag him across town, her destination being very familiar to him. She stopped in front of Grillby's pub, stepping aside with his wrist still captive as to ask him to open the door. He shot her a look, but humored her request nonetheless and opened the door for her. She led him to the front of the bar, sitting on an open stool after releasing him. She had her book opened to a blank page and wrote, not even looking behind her to see if he would sit next to her. Even so, he hopped on the open seat, hand cradling his mandible while curiously watching her.

"What's this about, Kiddie?"

She slid the book between them, simply pointing to the writing. _'Something weird is going on. I don't know what's happening, and I'm kind of freaking out. I don't care if you believe me or not, but I swear I've been through Papyrus' fight before. But I didn't fight him last time. I passed out and he brought me into the garage so I could heal up. You guys made me stay the night, and I went to Waterfall the next morning. I saw Undyne. She chased after me, and I swear on everything that is real, she killed me. Stabbed me in the back and I heard my soul shatter. But, I didn't… I didn't die. I woke up back in Snowdin, right by that – that sparkling star by the rabbit's shop. And I saw Papyrus again, and he said the same speech… I swear I repeated time.'_

Sans eyed the paper, skimming the explanation. His reaction didn't shift much from his usual, although she could swear she saw something flicker in his sockets. Did he know something she didn't? Her muscles tensed, hand tightening around her pen. She needed to know what was going on. Sans' bone-lids slowly closed and he uttered a soft chuckle.

"Y'sure you didn't hit your head too hard?" _What?_ "That's quite a story. Might wanna tell my brother about it – I'm sure he'd get a kick out of it." His hands rested on the counter as his gaze shifts forward to meet Grillby's. When he glanced toward the human to check on her condition, her face was painted with the most disturbed shock he'd ever seen on a human's face. She looked so crushed; he felt a shred of guilt. But there was nothing he could do. He saw her hand move for the pen again, and watched as she scribbled down more words after crossing out the larger explanation.

 _'Yeah, I'm just kidding. It must've been a dream, or a hallucination. Forget I said anything.'_

"That's not hard to do, Kiddie."

 _'… Shut up.'_ She rolled her eyes, annoyed with the skeleton's antics, and sunk her head into her arms as they rested on the counter. A failed lead. She thought she could trust Sans not to laugh at her, but she supposed that trust was misplaced. Something did catch her attention, however. Realizing this, she raised her head, looking to her companion in curiosity. She reached for her pen once more. _'Why are you calling me 'Kiddie'?'_

Pupils travel to the page, and he merely shrugs, "Just sounds right, that's all." There was a slightly deeper reason as to why, but he couldn't bring himself to mention it. It would completely dispel what he already urged to her. With a flippant gesture of his hand, it returned to rest on his mandible. "Was there any other reason you dragged me all the way here? Or did ya just want to pitch me that story?" As expected, the girl's eyes narrowed and the corners of her lips curved downward. She was not pleased. She had every right not to be.

 _'No. Forget it.'_

"Look," Sans heaved a sigh. "I'm not… the kinda guy you should be spillin' your guts to. I'm not good with feelings n' stuff." A hesitant hand ghosts over the small of her back before gently patting. His voice lowers to a whisper, "Sorry, Katie." He hopped off the barstool to shuffle toward the exit, hands stuffed into his pockets. She remained sulking on the counter, sighing heavily herself. She could feel heat radiating on her skin and hair, telling her that the place's bartender was hovering over her, or nearby her. She let herself skulk awhile longer, until something popped into thought.

 _Wait a gosh-darn-diddly second._ What did Sans call her before he left?!

Grabbing her belongings as fast as possible, Katie darted out the door of the pub, disregarding any and all stares. She swore – no, she knew – that he had just referred to her as her name. She didn't tell him, or Papyrus, her name this time. She told them before she died to Undyne. How did Sans know her name if she never told him?! _He must have remembered._

Rushing at top speed back to the skeleton's house, Katie's path was blocked by none other than Papyrus. It seemed he was looking for her, and was alarmed not to find her in the garage where she was placed. He towered over the young girl with his arms crossed, although he didn't look very miffed.

"HUMAN!" he chastised, as though an owner would their dog. "I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CELL!" Frantically and desperately, she signed the letters of his name, and he scrutinized her movements. She had honestly forgotten that he had "captured" her. In her panicked signing, she sloppily spelled out "S-A-N-S", "W-H-E-R-E", "N-E-E-D" and "N-O-W". She didn't care if he could understand her or not. Realizing how rattled she must be at this moment, Papyrus centered his gloved hands on her shoulders, ceasing her movements immediately. She stared at him with intense eyes, begging her request.

"YOU MUST REMAIN CALM! IS THIS ABOUT YOUR DESIRE TO RETURN HOME, HUMAN?" Her gaze faded to sadness upon the mention of the word 'home'. She still didn't know what to do. For a moment, she's pushed her thoughts of Sans to the side in favor of planning out her next moves. Technically, she'd received another chance to remain here in Snowdin with the brothers, although the reason why was clouded. Head dipping down, she refused to look at Papyrus. Unbeknownst to her true feelings, he assumed this answer to be 'yes'. "I AM SORRY THAT I HAD TO CAPTURE YOU. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND – IT IS FOR THE GOOD OF MONSTERKIND! WE CAN FINALLY RETURN TO THE SURFACE WITH THE AID OF YOUR SOUL!" _Yes, she was well aware._ "PLEASE DON'T LOOK SO SAD, HUMAN…" _How could she not?_

She felt the a gentle pressure against her shoulders, and with a glance, it seemed Papyrus was gripping them. "IT MAY BE AGAINST UNDYNE'S WISHES… AND EVERYONE ELSE'S, BUT I CAN'T STAND TO SEE YOU THIS UPSET." He parted his touch, towering once again while resting his hands on his hips in triumph. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS COME TO A DECISION! I HAVE CHOSEN TO RELEASE YOU, AND GIVE YOU DIRECTIONS FOR YOUR JOURNEY AHEAD!"

 _She already knew them._

"I HAVE JUST ONE CONDITION! YOU MUST SPEND THE NIGHT HERE TO RECOVER! YOU HAVE QUITE A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF YOU, AND YOU MUST BE PREPARED FOR IT!" Eyes dwindling up to meet his face, she nodded in agreement. "EXCELLENT! I SHALL GO MAKE DINNER ARRANGEMENTS!" He squirreled through the door of his house, likely planning on spaghetti. It was what she ate the last time she stayed over the night before.

* * *

Her desire to track down Sans depleted quickly. She opted to shuffle around town, silently watching all the monsters go about their business, talking and laughing with their friends. They seemed happy down here, despite their strong yearning to return to the surface. They must have had high hopes. Perhaps those hopes involved Katie's soul being ripped from her body to be absorbed. Ever since she read those tablets, it was all she could think about. They all wanted her dead, even if they didn't outwardly admit it. She was the only human in all of the Underground; the one thing standing between them and freedom. That much, she understood. How bad would that be, she considered? She would be dying for a good cause. At least she could be useful for one thing.

North of the skeleton's home laid a ledge of snow that stopped short to a river. Katie found herself perched on the edge, knees tucked to her chest as she watched icy vapor emit from the water. It was a peaceful, secluded spot; maybe even one where she could finally think. Then again, every time she tried to collect her thoughts of the events thus far, something always seemed to burst her bubble. She was beginning to think this world didn't want her to divulge into her problems, or to solve the puzzle of what to do next. She grasped at her legs tighter, eyes staring harshly into the water.

"Gee, someone's looking like they're deep in thought over there!"

 _No._

"Maybe this 'someone' could use some company?"

 _Go away._

"I guess little ol' me will have to do, huh?"

 _Leave me alone, you stupid weed!_

"Oh, you know I can't do that. I would never leave a friend who needs my help. And you look like you need some advice, don't'cha?" The flower grinned keenly, having appeared at the girl's side. His sickeningly innocent voice grated against her ears, and she visibly tensed. "Aw, why aren't you happy to see me? I thought we were friends. Aren't we friends, Katie?" She swerved a punch in his direction, which he simply ducked into the ground before appearing on her other side.

"Why are you getting so angry at me?" he whimpered. "I just want to help you…" The corners of his lips twist into a confident smile. "Maybe by telling you about why you RESET?" The word piqued her interest, which was obvious by her head tipping up from her knees. Her eyes lay on the golden flower obnoxiously placed at her side. "Ooh, that caught your attention, didn't it? So, you don't know about your power here?"

 _Power?_

"Yes, your power! You have a special ability here, Katie! Think of it like… a game. You have the power to SAVE, RESET and LOAD. That means you can never actually die. You can keep coming back over and over, until you finally reach your goal, or until you become tired of it all. You remember what I said earlier, don't you?"

A rueful, sorrowful nod.

"Good! Then you should know that when you died, you came back and created an entirely different timeline. You can create and destroy timelines at will. And, best of all, no one remembers a thing but you!"

 _What? That sounds like a horrible thing!_

"Oh, I'm sure it can be. But you're not looking at the bright side here. You can do whatever you want with no consequences! All you have to do is just RESET, and you'll be right back to where you last SAVED. Isn't that incredible?" Flowey giggled giddily. "I'm a bit jealous. There's so much you could do, and no one would be the wiser."

 _… Isn't that taking advantage of them, though?_

"Not if they don't remember it when you start again. See, Katie, I've been watching you for a while. You hesitate a lot when the word 'home' is mentioned." She stiffened. "Do you not want to go home? If you don't, then… why are you so determined to leave this place? You don't have to. I can tell you want to stay. You seem to like the skeleton brothers a lot, so why not live with them? –Oh, right, because you turned down the first person who saved you; the person who wanted you to live with her." He struck a nerve. "Ooh, you must feel really bad about that still, huh? Sorry to rub salt in your wounds."

 ** _"Shut up!"_ **

Silence followed the winded seconds. He broke her, and she came crumbling down. Her voice had finally erupted from her lips, cracked and hoarse as it was, it was still her voice. Flowey's smile had depleted, only to return with an accompanying chuckle. He sounded amused, victorious… even **sinister**.

"So, the mute can speak. How… deviant." The girl waved her hands pleadingly. She made gestures toward her mouth and throat, although she could already feel tears pricking her eyes. "Have you been fooling everyone this whole time? Feigning weakness, lying about insecurity… maybe even faking what you know and don't know? Wow, I didn't think you had it in you. I'm shocked, Katie – truly." The sarcastic tone he took with her didn't help her welling anxiety. "You don't have to explain it to me. Trust me, I know. I guess we're more alike than I first thought." With echoing laughter, the flower exited the scene the same way he had entered, leaving Katie shaking with more than just fear.

 _"I-I am not l-like you…"_ Weak and barely audible words whispered into the snowy air. _"I will n-never **be** like—like you..."_


	7. Chapter 7

She tried to enjoy the following night, but to no avail. Experiencing something unique once tends to drain the magic of the second time. Both skeletons were privy to her intense mood drop. As Sans had said, Katie was terrible at hiding her emotions. Feigning anything was impossible for her. There were offers to lift her spirits, but she refused. Even Papyrus had joined Sans in throwing out pun after pun to try and make her laugh, but they received no reaction. This kid was bothered to her very core, and no one could figure out why. That is, except Sans. Guilt still snugly nestled into his conscience for misleading her, but he hoped that the hint he dropped would be enough for her to figure it out on her own. He couldn't very well go around telling humans his deepest-kept secrets, after all. The girl was going to have to work for it.

The time arrived for her to depart for Waterfall. Goodbyes were bid, less heartfelt than before. The human ventured off into the mist where her previous actions repeated dully (not even Sans' odd appearance deterred her; she didn't look at him as she passed). She was no longer amused by the squeaking flowers, or the sparkling crystals. The surprise and tension had already been ruined. What was there to marvel at?

It wasn't long before she reached the place where she died. The childlike sense of wonder may be gone, but not her determination. She wasn't going to die to this again. She wasn't going to return to Snowdin and repeat the events she just had. Besides, just because you may be expecting it doesn't make the threat of blades spiking through your body any less scary. Unlike before, her focus was centered, and she made it to the end with little injury. Sweet relief flushed through her when she dove into another conveniently-placed row of tall grass. The height was about the same as before, so she had to lay low in order not to be caught. Loud thumps told Katie of the footsteps approaching until they ceased, and grass shuffled. Not even daring to open her eyes, she waited until the sound of repeated steps faded. Cautiously waiting an extra few seconds, she popped up from hiding, and maneuvered out of the bushes. Who knew grass could be such a great hiding spot? Now she knew what prey felt like before a tiger or panther pounced to attack.

Just like earlier, the same Monster Kid trailed behind her, excitedly wagging their tail as they hopped in place. It was kind of cute, how excited they looked. Almost cute enough to make her forget the looming threat of death that she just narrowly avoided. Almost.

"Yo… did you see that?! Undyne just… **touched** me! I'm never washing my face ever again! Man, are you unlucky. If you were standing just a _little_ bit to the left…! Yo, don't worry! I'm sure we'll see her again!" And off they zoomed into the distance, comically falling before popping right back up. At least someone was excited about the possibility of dying by a soldier's hand. With a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head, Katie shrugged herself of that experience, eager to move onward. She hoped to stay a healthy distance away from Undyne for quite a while longer.

The next room contained things that could make her heart melt from relief. One of those magic boxes accompanied the appearance of Sans. The rush of adrenaline had drained her monotonous attitude and replaced it with her true one, so the sight of Sans comforted her, but also reminded her of unfinished business. This area seemed to be as good a pit stop as any.

Setting down her backpack beside the box, she shuffled through her possessions, picking what she wanted to leave for later and what she wanted to bring. She pretended not to notice the snide skeleton standing a couple feet away from her until she finished reloading. With that priority marked off her checklist, she reopened her book, jotting down lines of intrigue and, perhaps, hints of saltiness.

 _'You stood me up at Grillby's, you know that?'_

"Don't know what you're talkin' about, Kiddie."

 _'That is a gosh-darn-diddly LIE.'_

"Y'know, I'm thinking about getting into the telescope business."

 _'Sans don't you dare change the topic.'_

"It's normally 50000G to use this premium telescope…"

 _'SANS!'_

"But, since I know you, you can use it for free. Howza' 'bout it?"

She remained stagnant, her eyes squinted and her lips tensed into a pout. Closing her notebook with a huff, she turned away from her "friend", denying his offer. He could never be direct, and that aggravated her. If he had made any remark about her walking away, she didn't hear it, and opted to firmly press forward. The next segment contained a large pool of water that emitted calming light, and small plots of land scattered about the water, all connected by wooden bridges. With just a few steps taken into the fray, and her cell phone rings loudly. Not as frightened anymore, she picks it up with little issue, knowing it to be Papyrus. The only other people who had her number were Toriel and Sans. Sans had just seen her, and Toriel… that was a thought better left incomplete.

"HELLO! THIS IS PAPYRUS! REMEMBER WHEN I ASKED YOU ABOUT CLOTHES?" _She sure did._ "WELL, THE FRIEND WHO WANTED TO KNOW… HER OPINION OF YOU IS VERY… MURDERY. WELL, WORRY NOT, DEAR HUMAN! PAPYRUS WOULD NEVER BETRAY YOU! I AM NOT A CRUEL PERSON. I STRIVE TO BE COMFORTING AND PLEASANT. PAPYRUS! HE SMELLS LIKE THE MOON!" _Was there a point to this phone call?_ "SO, BECAUSE OF MY INHERENT GOODNESS, I TOLD HER YOU WERE NOT WEARING YOUR BLUE JACKET!" _Oh, dear lord._ "EVEN THOUGH YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE! INSTEAD, I MADE SOMETHING UP! I TOLD HER YOU WERE WEARING… A BLACK SHIRT. IT PAINED ME TO TELL SUCH A BOLDFACED LIE." _Not as pained as he's going to feel in a—_ "I KNOW YOU WOULDN'T REMOVE LAYER WHEN FACED WITH DROPPING TEMPERATURES. BUT YOUR SAFETY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FASHION. DANG! I JUST WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH EVERYONE." Click.

For but a moment, a fleeting daydream fluttered by of Katie dropping her cell phone into the ponds, allowing it to drop however many feet down to the depths. Yes, she was miffed. Did she blame Papyrus? She couldn't bring herself to do so. He was too innocent and sweet, and he was only trying to protect her. But, oh man, was she steamed.

Marching on, she passed the area with ease, running into very few encounters. A long, winding pathway surrounded by water was supposedly another relaxing walk, had it not been for the large… onion-shaped creature. Its high voice pinched at her ear drums, and her shoulders visibly scrunched in displeasure. She reached the end and attempted to scrape her memory of the encounter. That was one she wouldn't want to run into again. The following meeting with a shy and kind songstress eased her pain, despite how she couldn't hum along with her as she wanted to. The monster herself was saddened by this fact, as well, but appreciated Katie's open ear to listen.

Puzzles abound, as usual, she wandered the caverns of Waterfall, approaching a piano and given the clue "A haunting song echoes down the corridor… won't you play along?" A haunting song? The message wasn't referring to Shyren's, was it? No, she wasn't in a corridor. Wandering out of the room, she followed the other direction. The walls held more readable tablets. At the sight, her heart skipped a beat. There was more to the story? What more could there be?

 _This power has no counter._  
 _Indeed, a human cannot take a monster's SOUL._  
 _When a monster dies, its SOUL disappears._  
 _And an incredible power would be needed to take the SOUL of a living monster._

 _There is only one exception._  
 _The SOUL of a special species of monster called a "Boss Monster"._  
 _A Boss Monster's SOUL is strong enough to persist after death…_  
 _If only for a few moments._  
 _A human could absorb this SOUL._  
 _But this has never happened._  
 _And now it never will._

This story didn't help her soul settle any less. She brushed it off as best as she can, she ventured into the following corrido to find a slightly crumbled stone statue. Drops of rain fell onto its head. She tucked this information into the forefront of her mind before proceeding, spotting a bin of multiple umbrellas beside a note that read "Please take one". Did people often come down here, she wondered? Why were there so many umbrellas? When was she going to stop questioning everything like she promised she would?

Lifting the item, it fluttered open above her, and an idea came to mind. She firmly held the umbrella as she backtracked, finding a stable enough slot to place it. Whether it was as thanks, or just how the puzzle worked, gentle xylophone music rang from the statue. The tune was soft and comforting, even bringing a smile to Katie's face as she listened close by. This must have been the tune she had to play on the piano ahead. The song easily resonated with her, and for good measure, she whistled it while walking. Music had always been a welcoming comfort to her ears, and in fact, she used to take piano lessons as a younger child. The notes were recreated in the small cavern with little issue.

The puzzle's purpose was unknown to her, but she proceeded along with it anyway. Once completed, a jarring 'boing' echoed the room, which was very unusual. Intrigued, she entered the now-open doorway. The niche contained some kind of relic resting upon a podium. Assuming it was something she could take, she reached out for it, only to be stopped by the sound of… snoring? It sounded close, as if the source was right with her. Curious, if not disturbed, she set down her backpack and opened it to find the oddest thing she could have ever imagined: a little white dog resting in the recesses of her inventory. The animal hopped out of her bag, yapping and aiming for the artifact she was just about to touch. Somehow, the dog absorbed it, and then happily sauntered off through the wall.

 _What the hell just happened?_

No. She didn't want to know. She didn't want to think about it. Instead, she shoved the experience from her mind and pushed on, returning to the corridor with umbrellas. Hastily picking up another one, she tried to let the rainfall relax her. It worked, thankfully. Along the way, the Monster Kid from earlier was planted into a niche, likely because they were unable to hold an umbrella to keep dry. Katie hailed them over, and the two shared space while continuing on. They began rambling about Undyne, talking about how they admired her, and how amazing she was. The praise slightly grated Katie, as the last time she met with Undyne, she tried to kill her. How could someone so admirable be so… violent? She didn't quite understand, although she respected Monster Kid's enthusiasm and appreciation. Other than that, the hike through the caverns was peaceful, leaving the human child refreshed.

She returned the umbrella at the designated bin, even though it was still drizzling. A high ledge stood in the way of her progress, but with a jump or two, she managed to lift herself up over it. Sadly, she couldn't bring her friend with her, as they had no arms to help her lift them up. They didn't seem to mind, and even bid her farewell, saying they'll likely run into Undyne at a later time. Nodding sympathetically, Katie waved them off. They were a nice kid, if not a little overzealous. She liked them.

The recognizable shine of a save star glittered in the distance. As per usual, the child dashed, as if it was going to disappear at any moment. Reassuring warmth once again filled her body, and finally, she could throw the weight of Undyne's rampage off her shoulders. She wouldn't have to repeat Papyrus' fight, either. Now, she felt ready. –Although, she may have thought too soon.

Rumbling beneath her feet urged her to stop movement. Aqua hued spears sprung from circular lights below her, which could only mean one thing: the huntress was back, and aiming to kill.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she haphazardly sprinted. The worst part about the chase was these docks were actually a maze of sorts, and combined with darkness, it didn't spell a very clear victory for the small human. The thought that her save star wasn't far behind her left her with little security, because truly, who would want to go through this endeavor again? Fortunately, her dodging skills had improved since their last encounter, and although she sustained some wounds, it wasn't enough to take her down entirely. She reached the end of the maze within a few, fear-filled minutes.

Pounding footsteps approached her from behind, telling her to slowly turn. Undyne was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Her face wasn't visible, but the idea of her strength was undeniable. The warrior raised her spear, aiming toward the human. Katie tensed. However, the pain never came.

The wooden dock cracked, and she realized that Undyne had sliced it. Unbalanced as the floor was, Katie fell with her piece of the dock. Shock chilled her to her core as she descended, once again, blacking out from fear. This was the third time. Honestly, how many times can her body be damaged until she suffers permanent injury? Then again, with the help of RESETS, fatal injury seemed to be a thing of the past. She supposed that was the sole advantage to this curse.

A soft voice crackled, but the words were too static-filled to understand. Like many times before, she woke to an unfamiliar place. Null to the surprise at this point, Katie stood, brushing herself of dust and pollen. Oddly enough, there were golden flowers planted atop a wooden plank. A disgusted snarl curled her lips and she raised her foot, rubbing the sole of her shoe into the bed out of pure spite. Simple petals had never infuriated her more than they did now. Flowey's laugh reverberated in the back of her conscience, hardening her grimace. He affected her, without a doubt. She couldn't even look at everyday, regular flowers without feeling something fiery bubbling in her chest. The hateful action she commenced actually felt _good_. It was nice to release this tension violently. Better on the flower bed than toward a monster, she concluded. Once sated with her angered stomping, she wiped the bottom of her shoe against the edge of the plank, allowing the crushed petals to flow into the water. It looks like she had to get a little wet again; couldn't be helped.

Slushing through the bitter water, she passed by large piles of garbage, which told her that this must have been some kind of dump. Did Undyne expect her corpse to float among the trash carelessly tossed down here? The thought fueled her fire further. It must have been comforting to feel so secure in your ability to obliterate someone, or something. If she truly believed she was dead, maybe there was some advantage in that. Still, she advanced, waist-high in filthy water. Occasionally, she found an item, finding something useful she could carry with her. She silently noted that her inventory was almost full, and if she found a box, she would have to make another stop.

She heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that she was nearing the end of the dump. She could only pray that the rest of Waterfall wasn't as cold as the first segment – she would surely freeze, especially once out of this river. But, of course, like every event thus far, there had to be something to stump her progress. A dummy, similar to the first enemy Katie encountered, splashed loudly to get her attention. Even though he spoke with authority, she drowned him out.

 _You cannot be fucking serious right now._ Was it too much to ask for just one thing to go right without interruption, or did everyone in the Underground have to intrude on her business and try to stop her? There was no end to this torment. _  
_

The dummy summoned a FIGHT, shouting crude remarks in an attempt to jar Katie to fall to his will. Surprisingly, his magic attacks were somewhat difficult to avoid, but she powered through. She was **not** going to face Undyne again. She was **not** going to go through that entire process again. As much as she wanted to sock him a good one, she knew it wasn't ethical. She had to swallow her anger and deal with sporadic attacks.

 _No one is happy with this._

Against her expectations, the Dummy suddenly retreated after his attacks were foiled again and again. Katie blinked, unsure of just why he decided to dance off angrily. Her answer floated in from above, and a smile plastered on her face. It was Napstablook, the friendly ghost she had met back in the ruins! And even better, he remembered her. Afraid that he had interrupted something, he floated away, but not before offering her an invitation to rest at his house for a little while. More than anything, she felt blessed. Eagerly pushing forward, she followed the kind ghost, coming upon an oddly shaped house that she assumed was his. A break sounded wonderful right about now.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has given me support for this! I'm very pleased to see that you're all enjoying it so much. I will attempt to keep up my one-chapter-a-day updating, hopefully until completion. Please, if anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns (or even suggestions for future stories/chapters/extras/etc.), don't hesitate to shoot me a message. I openly welcome conversations.**


	8. Chapter 8

A break turned out to be all that she needed to refresh her senses. The adrenaline from earlier was likely why her mind was clouded. That, and she hadn't realized how hungry she was. Napstablook offered her a ghost sandwich, and although she couldn't ingest it, she dug around in her inventory for a small snack to qualm her rumbling stomach. The two shared a serene moment of lying on the floor and staring up into the ceiling, which relaxed Katie enough to purge all the negativity she had been feeling. This was nice. If staying in the Underground could be more like this, she wouldn't mind staying down here. Unfortunately, life would be hard to live if you were being hunted down by a vivacious warrior, no matter how calming most moments may be.

She bid her ghost friend goodbye before leaving his home, thanking him for having her over. While it was nice, she had gone too far to go back now. She had to follow her mission to completion, even if her desire to do so has dwindled significantly since she began. Truthfully, she no longer wanted to return home, but what was here for her, anyway? No matter what route she took, the end result would be pointless. Weighing the few options she had sounded highly unappealing. She could choose to stay in the Underground and remain with Sans and Papyrus, and possibly Toriel, if she could ever find it in her heart to forgive her. On the other hand, she could return to the surface and continue to live the life she had been up until this point. That would mean leaving everyone down here behind. That would mean choosing to be _alone_. No matter how glamorous some people made independence out to be, it was everything but. Sooner or later, she would have to make some sort of decision.

Shuffling on with little resolution but plenty of determination, she happened upon another series of tablets framed on a long wall. Waterfalls cut through portions of land, telling her she would have to soak her shoes again. Oh, well; it didn't really matter. She had to admit, the story of the war did still interest her, especially as she had no previous knowledge of it. Maybe, just maybe, it could help her formulate some sort of alternate plan than what it seemed to be suggesting.

 _Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the humans.  
Seven of their greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell.  
Anything can enter through the seal, but only beings with a powerful SOUL can leave. _

_There is only one way to reverse this spell.  
If a huge power, equivalent to seven human SOULS, attacks the barrier…  
It will be destroyed. _

_But this cursed place has no entrances or exits.  
There is no way a human could come here.  
We will remain trapped down here forever. _

The story was slowly starting to piece itself together, although she couldn't say that it made her feel any better the more she learned. She pressed on with little to no feeling toward what she just read, stumbling upon what seemed to be a garden-like maze. Little mushrooms provided a lit path, squeaking to inform her of their status. Along this path, she encountered a rather odd enemy, one of which she… really didn't want to pay any mind to. She even noticed a branching trail that wasn't lit, but decided against her curiosity. She had dealt with enough foolishness for an entire month, and she didn't particularly want to endure more.

Eventually, she comes to the end of the garden's trail, leading her into – of course – another river. Darkness blanketed everything, making it all the more difficult to see where she was going. When she felt land, she sighed in relief, climbing the ledge and shaking herself as though a dog would. Still unable to see, she walked as far as she could, happening upon a single echo flower. Leaning in toward it, it whispered chilling words: "Behind you."

 _Of freaking course._

Authoritative footsteps signaled the arrival of none other than Undyne. Katie prayed that another chase scene wasn't intended, but she realized there would be nowhere to run to. This was the end of the hall. She was cornered.

"Seven. Seven human souls. With the power of seven human souls, our king… King Asgore Dreemurr… will become a god." So she finally spoke. "With that power, Asgore can finally shatter the barrier. He will finally take the surface back from humanity… And give them back the suffering and pain that we have endured." She paused, likely allowing the story to sink into the girl's mind. "Understand, human? This is your only chance at redemption. Give up your soul… or I'll tear it from your body." Well, honestly, it wasn't as if she was expecting anything else.

Brandishing a spear, Undyne neared her, and for a moment Katie wondered why she didn't just hurl it at her. Why even wait? If she wanted her dead so badly, her approach could have been much quicker. She would have expected a spear to the chest, but past experiences have proved that she shouldn't expect anything so obvious.

Monster Kid dove from the conveniently-placed grass just beside the fight, excitedly calling for Undyne. Yeah, Katie figured something like this might happen. Folding her arms, she watched as the deadliest warrior in all of the Underground dragged away a small child while they begged for their parents not to be told of their actions. A jaded sigh left her lips as she waited for the two to dissipate into the darkness. It hadn't been long since her last break – why was she feeling so drained? It was as if someone was sucking the life out of her.

"It sounds like someone's getting a little bored." _Not this again._ "Are you not happy with the way things are going?" Katie turned to face the bane of her existence, not even bothering to kneel down to give him the time of day. It was obvious by now that he's intent on following her every move, although for what reason, she couldn't begin to imagine. "I know of a way where you can make things… a little more interesting." The words that uttered from his mouth were ignored. Turning on her heels, she walked away, scraping back dirt from the ground to childishly toss at his stem. She hadn't the time to be talking with a soulless flower.

As per usual, off the human went on her merry way down another distinct path that will likely lead her to endless encounters. She passed by many an echo flower, quickly reading the next glowing tablet. She wondered how many of these were scattered all throughout these caves.

 _However, there is a prophecy.  
The Angel…  
The One Who Has Seen The Surface.  
They will return.  
And the underground will go empty._

An angel, huh? Somehow, it felt cliché. Her mind so clouded, she couldn't even make the connection – or she just didn't care to. She came across another bridge, and for a moment, she tenses in fear. Heights didn't sit well with her, but she figured as long as she never looked down, she would be fine. Halfway across, the sound of a pitched "yo!" caused her to stop in her tracks. As she guessed, Monster Kid came scurrying down the bridge, looking more sullen than usual. They seemed hesitant about something.

"I know I'm not supposed to be here, but… I wanna ask you something. I've never had to ask anyone this before, but… are you… human?" They squeaked the word as though it was taboo. Of course, in the underground, it technically was. Katie nodded. "Man, I knew it! Well, now I know… Undyne told me to, um, 'stay away from that human', but… hey, it's not like you'd hurt me, right? You don't seem like you could hurt anyone. But, uh… I'm not supposed to like you. Do you think you could say something mean to make me hate you?"

What a strange request. As her response, the human shook her head, refusing to do so.

"Alright, I guess I have to do it… uh, yo! I hate your guts." That didn't sound very convincing. "Oh, man, I… I'm such a turd. I'm… gonna go home now." They turned away shamefully, beginning to waddle their way home. She turned in the opposite direction to do the same, only to hear a cry for help not even seconds later. Whipping around to find the source, it seemed that Monster Kid had tripped, and was gripping onto the bridge's boards for dear life (with what, Katie wasn't quite sure). On top of this, the familiar pounding footsteps vibrated in the wood. Ignoring this completely, Katie rushed to the monster child's assistance, grabbing their tiny frame as best she could before lifting them up. Luckily, they weren't very heavy, although it was a little more difficult considering they didn't have arms.

Undyne took a menacing step forward. For a moment, Katie's gaze froze with fear. This might be the end; she might have finally caught her. But, even this moment would end unexpectedly, as Monster Kid dove in front of her, insisting to Undyne that she was their friend, and if she was to hurt her, she would have to go through them. There was a curt silence followed by the warrior stomping away, confusing the human ever so slightly. Monster Kid bid their final goodbye to her and scurried off once more, their step having a little more pep to it than earlier.

Katie rose to her feet, staring aimlessly into the distance. Her heart was nestled in a place of uncertainty now. Nonetheless, she turned directions, starting off again on her journey. A mountain gradually came into view that just spelled "endgame". Hearing a voice while approaching, she peered up to find Undyne standing at the tip of the mountain, restarting her speech from just earlier. The human stood with shaky resolve, feeling hesitant about continuing forward. She didn't even pay any attention until the fish woman started screaming, claiming that she shouldn't have to hear the story if she was just going to die, anyway. Admittedly, she had a point. She retreated into the mountain shortly after her spiel, telling Katie to enter whenever ready.

She cast a glance toward the entrance, a sudden gust of wind somehow flowing past her. It was as if someone was crying for her not to enter; as if she would die upon stepping foot in. With her state of mind, she wasn't quite sure if she really _ought_ to continue. A hesitant gaze lowered to her feet and she tensed. Finally, she raised a foot… and turned on her heel to dash in the opposite direction.

* * *

The familiar freezing air allowed her to breathe a little lighter. Soft ice crushed beneath her feet once the mist lifted. Not a single thing had changed, but this time, she welcomed that. She didn't care as goosebumps rose on her skin in patches due to her flimsy clothing. The cold was bracing; something she desperately needed to force herself back on track. She soon approached a decorated house, climbing the steps and rapping her knuckles against the door. Someone had to be home. The door creaked open seconds later, revealing the very tall, clothed skeleton. He peered down, expression changing with obvious surprise.

"HUMAN!" he cheered. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK HERE?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE CONTINUING YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH WATERFALL!"

Meagerly, she signed, _'I was. But I wanted to come back.'_

Concern crossed the skeleton's features before opening the door wider, ushering her inside. "DON'T JUST STAND OUT THERE! I KNOW HOW YOU HUMANS FREEZE EASILY – I DON'T WANT A HUMAN-SICLE ON MY HANDS!" A weak smile cracked her lips, and Katie shuffled inside, thankful for a little warmth. It wasn't a drastic temperature change, as skeletons didn't necessarily feel hot or cold, but it was enough to satisfy her homogenous needs.

"Hey, bro, who was at the d—" a fellow familiar figure stopped at the base of the stairs, landing eyes on the human child. "… Oh. Hey, Kiddie, what's up? Why aren't ya at Waterfall?" As his reply, she shook her head, signifying she didn't wish to mention it. Had he a brow of sorts, he would have raised it, but Sans could tell something was off. She should be fighting Undyne by now, and yet, here she was. What was she thinking, he wondered?

Katie meekly placed herself at the corner of their sofa, bringing her legs to her chest. The brothers exchanged looks, mentally communicating. They both had the same concerns for the human, it seemed. Their conversation didn't break until the girl's eyes interrupted, looking curiously at them. Papyrus shook off his expression of worry, replacing it with his usual grin and assurance.

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS INSISTS THAT YOU STAY FOR DINNER, THEN, HUMAN! I WILL PREPARE FOR YOU THE GREATEST OF MEALS!" With this proud claim, he fled into the kitchen, likely to begin this meal. Katie's eyes followed him until he disappeared behind the door. A shift in the couch's cushions told her that Sans had plopped down nearby her, but she didn't turn to face him. He watched her, comfortably sinking into his spot, waiting for her to at least look at him. But it never happened.

"… Alright, what's eatin' ya, Kiddie?" No pun or joke, just a straight question. This was very similar to her earlier demeanor, when she had tossed an "outrageous" story his way… even if it was the truth. "Talk to me." Still nothing. "… Look, Katie, y'know you can trust me, right? It doesn't matter if we haven't known each other for long, you can trust me, and Papyrus, too. Now, come on," he poked her shoulder with an outstretched finger. "Talk to me." Finally, she lifted her head and craned it toward him, staring at him blankly. There was a change in her expression, but an ever so slight one. She reached for her notebook, digging into her backpack on the floor to do so.

 _'How do you know my name, Sans?'_

A lazy pupil wandered to the words. So, she remembered? He thought that, perhaps, he may have to tell her about what he knew. It was only a matter of time. The girl may have been an emotional and complex mess, but she was sharper than a tack, not to mention, as stubborn as the following wound received from one. He saw the desperation in her eyes, even if it was attempted to be hidden.

"I remember ya told me. Well, actually – ya told Paps, and he told me."

 _'But, I didn't tell Papyrus, not even when I stayed the night. I dealt with Papyrus calling me 'human' and you calling me 'kiddie' all night.'_

"I know. Ya told him the last time you stayed the night. Y'know, after your meltdown." Her shock is evident in her face.

 _'You… remember that? But you told me at Grillby's that you didn't know what I was talking about! You avoided the conversation completely!'_

"I know, I know. Sorry about that, Kiddie. It's not really a good topic to talk about over a meal… or in front of a crowd of people." She didn't need to write her response, as her face told him everything. "I'll tell ya after dinner, alright?" He received a pout, but shrugged it off. She could wait until she got food in her stomach. A thought occurred to him, and he toned down the seriousness of the moment. "Hey, you plannin' on stayin' the night again?"

Meekly, she nodded.

"Ha, thought so. Paps hasn't cleaned up anything in the garage, so think of it like your room for when you stay with us. I doubt he'll turn you down if y'ask him about it. –Hey, here he comes now." He leaned forward for good measure, and Katie whipped around to see if he was right. When she didn't see Papyrus' presence in the doorway, she turned back to face Sans, only to be faced with nothing. Where on earth did he go, and so fast? The more time she spent with him, the more curious she became. She knew from the get-go that he was hiding something, but could never determine _what_. He said he would talk to her after dinner. She could only hope that he would keep his promise.

"HUMAN? IS SANS HARASSING YOU WITH HIS TERRIBLE PUNS AGAIN?" Papyrus peaked in through the doorway, catching Katie's attention. She shook her head. "IS HE PRANKING YOU THROUGH TIME AND SPACE?" … _What?_ She gave him a pointed look of confusion. He took that as affirmation. "I HATE IT WHEN HE DOES THAT." Alarmed, she raised herself by resting her hands on the arm of the couch, exaggerating her expression to convey her bewilderment. He finally noticed, but seemed to bypass the topic she wanted to question. "—OH, WORRY NOT, HUMAN! I AM ALMOST FINISHED. I WILL CALL FOR YOU AND SANS ONCE EVERYTHING IS READY!" Chipper as ever, he skittered back into the kitchen, leaving Katie as perplexed as ever.

Really, who – or _what_ – exactly is Sans?

* * *

 **Author's Note: My apologies for the wait on this one! Happy holidays, everyone!**


	9. Chapter 9

Dinner passed with ease, the trio making little conversation (mostly between Sans and Papyrus for obvious reasons). This time, Katie was able to relax and enjoy the time spent with her newly adopted skeleton family. Admittedly, she intently watched the two of them, trying to figure out just how they ate with no stomachs. The fact that they were skeletons did still slightly jar her, although she was past the point of acceptance. Papyrus offered to wash up after everyone was done, which no one complained to. Katie signed him a "thank you" before exiting the kitchen, and Sans followed soon after. A hand rested on the girl's shoulder.

"Let's go and talk in your room, Kiddie." Before she could fully gesture her question, he rebutted, "I'll just tell him I'm tucking you in to bed, if I have to. But he normally doesn't question where I go." She couldn't refute that. Nodding in agreement, the two slipped outside and into the garage without a problem. Papyrus really hadn't changed anything since she left – everything was still in place from the last time she stayed. Granted, she was only gone for what was probably considered a day, but the fact remained touching. Katie dropped her things beside her makeshift bed and then promptly flopped onto it, letting her back sink into the mattress. It felt nice to have someplace to consider a home.

"Comfy?" Sans chuckled, watching bemusedly. "Mind making some room down there for me?" She nodded, lifting herself to a sitting position, encouragingly patting the spot next to her. He happily obliged. However, now came the hard part. He promised the kid an explanation for essentially everything, but there was no way to go about this without things turning… harsh.

"Alright, you wanted an explanation? I'll try to talk in terms that you can understand." A simple jest, really, and even she knew it. The pout on her face still brought a smile to his, though. "The story you came to me with yesterday – I know you're tellin' the truth. You _did_ die to Undyne, and you _did_ reset time." During these words, he saw her dive for her backpack, likely going to pull out her notebook and write. Just as he thought, she started frantically scribbling words on paper.

 _'_ _I apparently have some time powers, right? Like, I can reset, save, load… kind of like a game.'_

"… Did'ja figure that out yourself?" He raised a theoretical brow.

 _'_ _No, someone… someone told me.'_

Sans' white pupils disappeared, leaving dark sockets staring into the void behind her. He raised a hesitant question, "… _Who_? Who told you?"

 _'_ _This…'_ she paused in her writing. _'This flower told me. He looked like those golden flowers that grow where I fell down.'_ The bottom of the page contained a hasty doodle of the flower in question, with an arrow pointed at it. _'This is him.'_

Any word past _flower_ wasn't necessary. Sans had already pictured the annoying, conniving monster in his mind. He'd gotten to Katie first, too? He had to be spending quite a bit of time with her if she knew this hoard of information. That, honestly, frightened him.

"Heh… the smiley trashbag himself," he snickered darkly. "Really wish he wasn't the one that told you that. He shouldn't be interacting with you at all." The darkness in his sockets concerned her, although it was his voice that chilled her. While hunched over, he quietly asked, "Hey, you're not feelin' weird or anything, are ya, Kiddie? Anything where you don't act like yourself counts as 'weird'." Silence hushed over them when there would usually be noises of a pen scratching on paper. "Katie, I need you to tell me if there's anything wrong."

The only thing that counted as weird to her was her attitude. Since coming to the underground, she'd become much angrier than normal. She found herself to be more irritable, more aggressive, and quite frankly, uncontrollable. Her actions were a mess that no longer made sense to her. All these thoughts occurred, and yet she made no motion to write them down. Something pricked at the back of her mind not to tell him. Logically and morally, she knows that she should. He looked so serious, and so hard-pressed for an answer. It sounded like something awfully important. Additionally, she, too, was curious as to why she had begun to act this way. Perhaps Sans knew the answer?

"You're takin' an awful long time to answer." His voice broke her of her thought train. "Sounds like something's up. Spill." It was like he was being forceful, and she couldn't tell if it was out of concern, or something… more _hateful_. –Wait, where did that come from? Sans didn't hold a single ounce of spite for her, to her knowledge. He was trying to protect her. But, even that was just wishful thinking.

 _'_ _I've been feeling more agitated lately…'_ She carefully wrote. _'But I haven't been eating all that well, and I've been expending a lot of energy lately, too. Dodging bullets with your soul takes a lot out of you, you know? I doubt that counts for anything.'_ She played it off, even shrugging for an added effect. Sure, she wasn't exactly lying, but it was nowhere near the full truth, either. Admittedly, it was vague.

Sans stared at her for what seemed like minutes when it was likely only seconds. The look on his face said he didn't believe her, but he dipped his skull down, softly chuckling. "Right. Sorry 'bout gettin' worked up for nothin'. Didn't mean to scare ya." As reassurance, he raised a hand and patted her head, ruffling her hair in the process. It was affectionate, unlike what she had assumed it would feel like. "But I'm stalling. Since you know all that, I guess I don't need to sugarcoat the truth with that explanation." A curious gaze lifted her eyes. "You're probably not gonna like what I'm about to say. I know you wanna know, though. Just… bear with me.

"I know you probably think you're the first human to come down here in a long time, right? That's what everyone tells you. But, what if I were to tell you that they're all wrong, and you're not the first one to fall down the mountain? Well, whatever you believe, Kid, that's the truth. Another human, a bit younger than you, fell down here not too long ago. They had to face the same things, but yeesh, lemme tell ya, they were determined. Their soul was full of it. They were also merciful. They spared every single monster they came across, and befriended most, if not all, of them.

"This kid was pretty special, you see. They also had the ability to reset, save, load – the whole shebang, just like you do. Except – sorry to say it – their power was greater than yours. They died a lot of times, but they came back, smarter and stronger than before. For a tiny kid, they sure were packed with sugar and spice; extra sugar. They actually made it to the end. They met with and fought Asgore – twice. But, somethin' got to them after all that. They reset. Everything they had fought for just vanished at their whim. I was really sad to see that, honestly. I was hopin' this was the kid that could take us to the surface, to finally get us all free. Guess that was just wishful thinking.

"Anyway, the kid did come back. But, something was different about them. I couldn't pinpoint it at first, and it bugged me. Then, I figured it out. Or, really, I saw them… twist into some kinda demon that I knew they couldn't be." He paused heavily, head tilted down as his hands in his pockets shake. "They killed Papyrus. I watched the whole thing. After him, they killed everyone else. I couldn't let them get away with it. I knew I had to stop them.

"So, I killed them; over, and over, and over – repeatedly. But they kept coming back. They were so damn determined. I knew I couldn't win, but I couldn't just stand there and take it. I did what I could… but they got past me. Yeah, I actually died, just like you have, Katie. I don't really know what happened after that, 'cause… that's when you came in." A very obvious look of surprise littered her eyes. "I gotta admit, I didn't expect to see you. I didn't know what to think. You're so different from the other kid – taller, shier, weaker, and…" There was a hesitant pause. "Well, very obviously a girl." That earned him a scowl and a smack to the arm. She thought he was supposed to be serious, here. "Alright, point taken. Anyway, I hate to say it, but you're much weaker in comparison to the kid I met before. That got me thinkin' while you were off doing what you were supposed to do.

"I had to run by Alphys' – you haven't met her yet – and ask a few questions, contemplate a few things… and then I came back to meet with unconscious you after you had your little episode. I found out somethin' **_real_** interesting, but also something I feel like I shouldn't have gotten into." He cast a blank gaze in her direction, his sockets blacker than night. It sent shivers down her spine.

"You're not meant to be here, Katie. You were **_never_** supposed to come here."

The gravity of his voice makes her heart sink, allowing her chest to go cold. He couldn't be lying. Everything he was telling her she believed to be the truth. Stillness phased into the air as the human sunk lower into the mattress from the weight of the realization. She wasn't supposed to be here. She wasn't meant to be in the underground. The other child he talked about was to be in her place.

"… Then, why?" her voice shook, as coarsely as before. It made her throat burn, but she didn't care. "Why am I here?"

Now, Sans realized why she couldn't speak. She sounded like fragile twigs cracking under the most gentle of wind pressures. He figured it must have hurt her, too. That, however, was a story for her to share on her own volition, if she chose to. He scooted himself closer to her, wrapping a bony arm around her shoulders and even tucking her close to him. He knew how much he just distressed her. He knew and understood that feeling better than just about anyone.

"Keep your voice to yourself, Kiddie. Sounds like it hurts ya a lot." He heard a sniffle, and a harsh intake of air. This made him tighten his grip on her. He felt awful for making her cry, but she needed to hear this. She needed to know so she wasn't running blind anymore. With it out in the air, they could work on finding out her true purpose for being here. For the moment, he let her cry it out, figuring she deserved it. The poor thing had probably been on the brink of crying since she got here, and from what he knew, it was never good for humans to bottle everything up. She may have been the "new human", or better put, an anomaly, but that didn't mean she deserved to suffer like this. "Don't worry, Kate," he whispered. "We'll figure it out."

"I'm sorry," she choked, and he only squeezed her shoulder. He meant what he said by her staying quiet. Despite this, her sobs were audible with hoarseness. He supposed he couldn't fault her on that – crying caused noise, no matter how it was done. Patiently, he waited until she was all cried out. She eventually set her chin upon his shoulder, her eyes red and puffy. This might have been her final straw.

"You all done?" Sans asked softly, to which she nodded. "Good. We can start figuring out just how this happened." He removed his arm, and for a moment, Katie wanted to tell him to remain in that position. Never had she thought a skeleton could feel so comforting on human skin. "Alright, now tell me – do you remember anything before falling down the mountain? Anything at all?" Carefully, the girl paused, then shook her head. She still couldn't recall the reason why she descended in the first place, and she barely remembered what she was doing beforehand. Sans simply looked away, as if he expected that answer. Considering how much he knew, she wouldn't be surprised if he could tell what she was thinking. "Have you been… experiencing headaches or somethin' like that? You've been pretty sluggish the last couple days." To that, she nodded.

 _'I also can't seem to catch a break. I mean, whenever I try to sit down and think about all that's happening… something else happens and I'm interrupted completely. It's like something doesn't want me to remember, or to even reflect on what's going on.'_ Or, it could have just been a long string of odd coincidences that she, unfortunately, had to endure. This world seemed to move a lot faster than the one on the surface, so surprises were plentiful.

Sans was silent for a little longer than usual. "Alright. This next question… you promise to answer me honestly? I don't need you lying about anything to me. If you do, it could mean your life. Okay, Kiddie?" She gulped, swallowing the fear, before nodding slowly. "Have you been feeling anything weird lately?" She paused, looking at him strangely. "Yeah, I know I already asked that. But I don't believe your answer. So tell me the truth." He cornered her.

 _'I mean… I wasn't exactly lying before. I've been feeling more agitated lately, but I don't know why. I've been angrier than usual. I'm not a spiteful person – I don't get angry easily. But, since coming here, I can't help feeling really… mad about stuff. Like, when I was about to fight Papyrus for the first time. I was really angry at him, but I don't know why. I… I wanted to throw a punch, a kick, a swipe – I wanted to **hurt** him. But I don't want to hurt anyone. **You** also make me feel angry sometimes, but, I mean, I can't tell if it's because I'm annoyed at your puns, or if it's because… I actually want to hit you.' _

More silence followed, likely for Sans to think about what he'd just read. Katie waited anxiously, her muscles performing an occasional twitch while she idly doodled in her notebook. The stiffness of the room was internally killing her, and she was trying to keep her mind off of it by at least attempting to draw. The skeleton's eye soon wandered to her hurried illustrations, letting out a gentle chuckle. Her drawings weren't half-bad, he would have to admit. Not only was her penmanship on point, but so were her doodles. The kid had some talent; all the more reason to get her out of this deafening place. She couldn't pursue anything while trapped down here.

"I think I have a better idea of what's goin' on, now." He spoke, breaking her concentration on whatever she was penning. "I don't have a solution yet, but I got a better grip." She set down the book, telling him he had her full attention. "I don't think ya came down here outta your own will. I think you were shoved down the mountain, though not in the conventional sorta way. Someone here's tryin' to influence ya, and by the looks of it, it's working. But," he emphasized, cutting her off before she could interject. "Ya look like you're fighting it pretty well." He patted her back once more, even giving it a comforting rub. "Keep it up, and hopefully, you won't get absorbed by it."

Was he being cryptic? There had to be more than that, she thought. It couldn't be just that. Then again, he was probably going off the top of his head, and it wasn't like he knew all the answers to her problems. So, she nodded again, in meek agreement. She would have to be careful from here on out, and be much more aware of her surroundings.

It seemed Sans was about to speak again when a loud call of his name rang through the door. Papyrus burst through it not even a second later.

"SANS! IT'S GETTING LATE!" He huffily insisted. Without another word, the brothers' sockets connected, and the smaller of the two seemed to understand.

"Is it that time already?" Sans lifted himself from the comfort of Katie's mattress, shuffling his hands into his pockets. "Alright, head up to your room, bro, I'll be there in a minute." Papyrus squirreled on out of the garage and towards the house, clearly excited about something. Katie tossed a look his way, which he caught while peering back, supposedly to bid her goodnight.

"Sorry to cut this visit short, Kiddie, but Papyrus gets kinda cranky when I don't read him his bedtime story every night." He winked reassuringly, accompanied by a chuckle. She continued to stare curiously. "What, you wanna hear the story, too? Wow, didn't take ya for a fairytale type of kid. Thought you were a bit older than that." Mouth agape, she jumped to her feet, about to whack him. In the blink of an eye, her wrist was in his hand, and he laughed again. "I'm just pullin' your leg. Or, I guess in this case, your arm." He tugged against her wrist to make a point. She rolled her eyes, which he took as a replacement for a groan.

"I'm sure Paps wouldn't mind you listening in till he falls asleep. Come on." He released his grip on her and motioned toward the door, signaling for her to follow. She does so, tailing closely behind him as they go through the brothers' house and into Papyrus' room. She remembered its contents, having seen it twice. Of course, Papyrus himself only believes he showed her once, as his memory of her was unfortunately stunted. The skeleton himself had little problem with her visit, and even insisted that she stay to listen to the story, as the ending of it got him every time; so he was sure she would enjoy it just as much.

Wearing a content smile, she seated herself comfortably on the floor, her legs crossed as she used to do in elementary school. Sans placed himself on the edge of his brother's bed, book already opened to the first page. He began reading with an audience of two. Katie hadn't realized until now how soothing his voice could be, especially when reading in such a calm, concise tone. Without being conscious of it, her eyes started to droop, and it registered to her how sleepy she'd become after such an emotional outbreak. But this was Papyrus' room, she couldn't very well just fall asleep right on his floor – that would probably be considered rude.

Throughout the story, she tried her best to stay up and alert, although gradually failing. Her face rested against the side of the mattress, her eyes closed and breathing light. She had fallen fast asleep before Sans finished the book. Once he actually did, he closed it to see that both members in attention were knocked out cold. A soft chuckle exited his teeth, and he returned the book to its proper place on the shelf quietly. As stealthily as possible, he lifted the young human into his arms, finding her lighter than he assumed. She mumbled and even moaned, but he figured she was still settling into sleep.

In a flash, he reappeared in the garage, the girl still secure in his grip. His joints bent to bring her lower to the ground before he safely plopped her onto her own mattress. She was still asleep – she must've been a heavy sleeper. As a final touch, he covered her with the available blanket, then stepped away. Sounds of movement caused him to turn back with caution, but she was only shifting in her sleep. A closer look at her revealed a warm smile spread on her lips as she unconsciously bundled herself in the blanket.

Turning his back, he softly whispered, "Sleep well, Kiddie." Then, he disappeared.


	10. Chapter 10

This awakening was among the easiest she had upon falling into the underground. She hadn't woken up with any starts or confusion, and as a bonus, she felt well-rested. What a rarity; if only it could have been like this all the time, especially when she needed it. She shuffled and grumbled, raising her frame to stretch out her spine while her arms straightened above her head. A few vertebrae popped, as did a couple of joints. She released a relaxed sigh, relief spreading throughout.

"Yikes, Kid," chuckled a deep, familiar voice. "Sounds like ya slept like a log if you're wakin' up that stiff." She had no need to turn; he already knew she was rolling her eyes. He approached her further holding a very full plate, setting it down beside her mattress. "Paps is kinda worried about ya, so he made you a pretty big breakfast. I told him there's no way you could eat all this, since this plate weighs more than you do—" Cue a very upset pout and glare from the child. "—But, eh, he insisted. And don't worry, I sampled some of it; it's actually edible."

A curious glance cast upward to the skeleton before a small hand reached to pull him down, a sign that she wanted him to stay while she ate. He could only shrug and accept, knowing she wouldn't stop pouting all day if he didn't do as requested. The child was stubborn in that regard, but she was a kid who knew what she wanted, and that he could appreciate. While unsure of her reasoning, he could only assume she desired company, which wouldn't be unheard of. Papyrus wouldn't mind if he spent a little time with their guest, after all – he could just make up that he wanted to be sure she was eating enough, or something to that effect.

Unsurprisingly, there's silence as Katie digs into the provided meal. She's smiling, which is a very good sign. She appears to be liking it. Looking at her framework, he figured she could use a few extra pounds; the kid was skinny as a twig. Most children were small, he knew, but she appeared almost sickly small. There was a story to that, surely, but it wasn't as though he was going to outright ask about that. Even he knew when to not be rude, although he would admit that the silence was somewhat stifling. Something had to be said, even if it was just toward simple small talk.

"So," he drawled. "Are you planin' on goin' back to Waterfall anytime soon?" This provoked a perplexed look from the brunette, her cheeks fully stuffed with food. He gave her a few moments to allow herself to chew and swallow, despite how she really can't give a verbal reply. As her answer, after a pause, she shrugs. Truthfully, she isn't quite sure if she'll return to Waterfall to give Undyne's fight a try. She'd already died to her plenty of times, and she felt no need to re-experience the bitter grip of death.

Sans' head tilted, intrigued, "Really? That mean you're staying here with me n' Paps?" Watching her movements, he noted a tint of pink fading into her cream-colored skin, along with her eyes avoiding him. He assumed the bite of food she stuffed into her mouth was a tactic to further steer clear of the topic. Without gesturing or saying anything, he knew the response. He chuckled, removing a hand from his pocket to pat her gently on the back. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you need, y'know. I don't think Papyrus will mind. And, hey, might be nice to have a pet around that'll actually remind you of its existence." Seemingly able to read her like a book now, he expected the jab in his ribs, courtesy of the girl's elbow. She could be so predictable. "I'm just joking. No need to get so pushy." She shifted her weight and continued eating. Not even a quarter of the plate had disappeared, but she was already looking full. A small girl meant small meals, he supposed.

When she finished, she gently pushed the plate forward, telling him she was done. While she didn't eat a lot, she ate a decent amount for her size, so Sans stood to pick up the plate. Giving her a "see ya later", he turned to leave, only to be stopped by a tiny hand reaching for the bottom of his jacket, preventing him from going. Of course, he peered behind him to see what the child wanted, only to be met with a pleading look. He couldn't quite translate simple looks, but he took it as either she wanted him to return after dumping the plate, or she wanted to come with him. Although she made no movement to stand, he tugged on her arm, requesting she stand up with him. She did as asked, bringing herself to full height. It was slightly embarrassing for a child to be taller than him, but Sans didn't entirely mind. Humans, like monsters, came in all shapes and sizes; she was no different.

The two entered the skeleton's home, finding Papyrus seemingly preparing to leave. Once he laid sockets on Katie, he brightened, and jumped at the chance to meet her. She looked much better than she had in recent days, which he attributed to his wonderful care-taking.

"HUMAN KATIE, I AM SO PLEASED TO SEE THAT YOU ARE WORKING WONDERFULLY! I'M SURE THAT YOU ENJOYED THE BREAKFAST THAT I SO SKILLFULLY PREPARED FOR YOU!" The child giggled breathily, the only way she could, before nodding. It was actually rather enjoyable, even if she couldn't devour it all. Papyrus hovered his gloved hand above her head before patting gently, finding that the gesture left her content. "I AM AFRAID I MUST DEPART, HOWEVER! I HAVE TECHNICALLY CAPTURED YOU, YES, BUT I MUST CONTINUOUSLY TEND TO MY PUZZLES JUST IN CASE ANOTHER HUMAN APPEARS!"

"You do what you gotta do, bro." Sans encouraged, shrugging nonchalantly. Papyrus' sockets narrowed toward his brother, clearly displeased.

"YOU NEED TO DO THE SAME, SANS! I UNDERSTAND SPENDING TIME WITH THE HUMAN IS IMPORTANT AND VERY FUN, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP WATCH OF OUR STATIONS!" It wasn't unusual of him to scold his older brother for things of this nature, and by now, Katie was used to it. Actually, she even giggled occasionally, especially when Sans would just bypass just about everything that was said. Eventually, Papyrus parted from the house, dutifully heading toward his station outside of Snowdin. The girl waved him off, and he did the same as he disappeared into the distance.

Meanwhile, Sans chuckled as he watched her mood uplift tenfold just by being in Papyrus' presence. Just as the younger brother had, his hand raised to pat the human on the head, even ruffling her hair a little. She was taller, sure, but he could still reach. In response, she pouted, but the grin on his face stayed. "Hey, you are kinda like a pet. I mean, you like being **pet** , don't you?"

Katie pouted, brushing past the skeleton into the house. She knew he was joking, but that didn't mean she couldn't act annoyed with him. The unlikely duo somehow managed to gain a mutual understanding of each other's quips despite not knowing each other very long. Then again, he was of the very small handful of those who knew about her reset. He could be trusted, she decided, especially as he and Papyrus were allowing her to stay within their lodging. They were kind monsters.

"Hey, Kid," Sans beckoned from the doorway. "Would you be cool if I left you here for a little while? I gotta head to work." A mere nod was offered as her reply as she sunk into the couch, remote in hand. Asking was only a precaution, as he was aware that she had been by herself since the start of this journey. He was sure she could handle being by her lonesome, but still. Once she confirmed her allowance, he grinned, stepping out onto the doorstep. "Alright, don't cause any trouble. Y'know, make sure the house doesn't burn down, or anything." She signed a forceful "just go" while he laughed, and soon, he was gone, as well.

It was certainly odd being alone in a house that wasn't yours, even if you were considered a family guest. Absently sighing, the girl curled into the arm of the couch, and flipped on the television. The screen flashed sequences of a rectangular robot, doing various things and show-types. 'Mettaton'. His name was plastered all over the studio settings, and of course, the show itself. Curiosity held the human tightly and she settled for the program, watching it carelessly as the time ticked by. Neither skeleton noted when they would return, so she wasn't certain how long she would be by herself. Somehow, though… she felt safe. It could have been the town, or the house, or the fact that she was companied by two skeletons, but she felt safe and secure. That much could never be said when she's off traveling on her own, out to solve puzzles and progress through whatever this world throws at her. At least she knew she wasn't alone.

* * *

Lights shining brightly down unto closed eyes forced them open. Particles danced far above, obvious due to the illumination. A small body lifts from the ground, dusting off clothing to throw even more particles into the air. This place was familiar, and it never seemed to change, no matter how many times the world was reset. Again, they started with nothing, knowing they had to build from the ground up once more. Without any hesitation, they canter forward, meeting Flowey with no problem. The speech was the same, just as they remembered. Flowey disappears, Toriel arrives. It's all the same as before. Yet, they meet their goat mother with a large smile, more than joyful to see her. They felt it had been far too long.

Things were going well thus far; nothing seemed particularly out of place. The puzzles of the ruins became easier with each run through, and they knew that, soon, they would have to prepare themselves for the battle with Toriel. It never failed to crack their heart, to have to leave in order to progress. Yet, it didn't seem possible to stay, and they had gone through many trial runs of that very idea.

The nap was pleasant, as was the pie slice they received upon waking up. The following actions pained them to go through, but it had to be done. Sooner than they hoped, Toriel was cornered at the entrance to the snowy land behind it. A fight was coerced, and the child dodged many a time in order to reach the end to spare her. Toriel's teary look always left them heartbroken, especially as she hugged their shoulders and motioned to walk away back into her home. Swallowing tears, they progressed onto the next location, which contained a spotlight shining directly onto the familiar flower. Dialogue proceeded as normal, and the child moved on, now reaching the outskirts of Snowdin rather quickly.

Meeting with Sans was always a highlight of a restart. The skeleton brothers always brought joy into their journey, and they loved the jokes and japes that both had to offer. Although things were proceeding as normal, Sans himself seemed slightly off, whereas Papyrus was the same as ever. They began to wonder if something was amiss in this timeline. Occasionally, something would stir and fuse into a separate save file, and something minor would change, but Sans' attitude was never much of a variable before. He joked, like usual, but his jokes seemed to fall flat, not that Papyrus noticed over the terrible pun placement. He wasn't offering the advice he normally would, either.

Going through the motions of Papyrus' fight was the least of their worries, and soon, they shuffled off to Waterfall in order to find Sans waiting at his sentry station just outside of the town's boundaries. As per usual, he offered a "break", and they were swept off to Grillby's by the use of the skeleton's magical shortcut. Taking their seats at the bar, the child ordered their food, and finally, they were able to chat. Something was definitely off about Sans, and they needed to know what it was. He was their friend, and if they could fix something, then they would be happy to do it.

"Sans?" they asked, their voice small as ever. The skeleton's pupil's drew toward the human child, his hand on his mandible. "Is there something wrong? You're not really acting like yourself..."

"Heh," he merely laughed. "Sharp as ever, aren't you, Frisk?" He tugged the cap off of the nearby ketchup bottle, downing it as though it were a drink. To him, it was considered one. "You've been through this route enough to know what's going on, haven't ya?" In response, the child nodded. "I guess I don't have to warn ya about talkin' flowers this time. I should probably tell ya about somethin' a little more troubling..." There was a pause in his words as Grillby presented the two with their food, and with simple nods, the two communicated, and Grillby left the two to talk by themselves. "Alright, I'm gonna lay it down straight: there's somethin' screwed up with the timelines, and I'm not sure exactly what, but... it's brought us another human."

Frisk's eyes widened, both in surprise and interest, which was also conveyed by their leaning on the counter. "Another... human? But, I thought-"

"I know, I thought the 'fallen human' shtick ended with you, too. But I guess some omniscient power decided that we weren't done with kids fallin' down this mountain." Sans sighed, even slumping ever so slightly. He was clearly dejected, and he had every right to be. "... I thought we were almost done, y'know? We were so close to the end, and before I know it, we're all snapped right back here, but with a different kid." The look on Frisk's face wasn't any cheerier. Neither had any idea how such a thing could occur, especially to a poor child who had nothing to do with anything. The skeleton immediately noted their crestfallen look, and nudged at them, making them look up.

"Hey, don't be upset, Frisk. She's a good kid. She's smart, quick on the draw, and downright determined." The human child stared, and blinked. So the human this time was a girl? "A lil' on the annoying side, sure, but she has good intentions." Frisk tossed a curious look, and from that, Sans understood what they were asking. "Oh, her name's Katie. She's a bit older than you, actually. And another thing – her soul's PINK."

"…? Pink? I've never seen a soul that color before." Tiny hands grasped upon the burger placed before them, and they took a bite, relishing in the filling food. "… She's not in this timeline, is she?"

"Nah, she's in another one. You started up a new one when you came back. Heh, if she were in this one, Papyrus would be freaking out even more than usual." He chuckled, taking another swing of the ketchup. "… Hey, Kid? Why did you come back, anyway?"

The food was set back down onto the plate while Frisk gazed thoughtfully to the floor. It took a moment, but they answered with a meager shrug, "I don't really know. I was sparing Flowey, but before I knew it, I was just… on the mound of golden flowers, looking up at the really bright light. Something must have happened… maybe Katie accidentally messed something up? I don't want to blame her for anything, but, maybe she just didn't mean to." Timeline shenanigans were always the hardest occurrences to figure out, especially as Frisk knew close to nothing about how they worked. Flowey and Sans were essentially the only ones who knew about them, aside from themselves. They supposed the new girl also knew about them, as she must have died at least once already. On one hand, they would love to meet her, but surely, there would be consequences to that. No one was supposed to mix and mess with the timelines – after all, Sans already did it quite enough. "Hey, Sans? What do you think would happen if… I met her? In either of our timelines?"

"Hm? You tellin' me you wanna meet Katie?" The sound of his voice accompanied by the look on his skull suggested he thought them to be crazy. Frisk only shrugged sheepishly. "I don't know how that would go down, Kid, but I wouldn't suggest it. I talked with her about this, actually. I told her she isn't supposed to be here, and that we were gonna figure out a way to get her back to the surface. Poor kid doesn't deserve to be down here, going through all the crap that you did. It was hard enough watching the first seven kids fall and fail… we don't need an eighth.

"Havin' her meet you might not be good for her chances of getting out of here. She's even more of an anomaly than anything I've seen down here; something that shouldn't be here, but she managed to slip through somehow. If the two of you were to be in the same place together, it could cause a lot of instability. She knows about you, but only that you're the kid that's made it through to the end." Recalling the speech he gave to Katie, he felt a tinge of guilt. He explained to her the entirety of Frisk's successes, but also the unspeakable route they went through the time before she just arrived. He had yet to approach Frisk about that, to ask about why they decided to turn on their heels and take a completely different direction.

"… Yeah," Frisk sighed after a considerable silence. "I know you're right. But what if I go through the whole route again and the same thing happens? It's kinda like I'm in a never-ending loop, and I can't break it."

"I… honestly don't know, Kid. I don't have experience with _friskcle_ situations like these." The atmosphere dropped, and everything went dead. The human child stared toward the bar shelves, quiet for a long time, before a small snort uttered from them, and they burst into giggles. They could hardly believe that Sans would take such a serious moment to pull a ridiculous pun. Then again, this was the joke-loving skeleton they knew, and it would make sense if he wished to lighten the mood. The atmosphere was feeling awfully dank at this point.

"I know it's probably not something to push back, but, we shouldn't worry about that right now. What matters is that, yeah, you've started over, but this time, you're gonna do it. You're gonna get through this whole thing, and we're all going to come out of this just fine."

"Even Katie?" The question was minuscule and gentle, although it held drastic emotion behind it. Truly, the girl's fate was unseen at this point, as no one knew anything about her or how she even appeared here. Her presence is a mystery, and as much as Sans loved playing around with science fiction, this was perhaps too big a story for him to take on by himself. He had visited Alphys once in regards to this topic, but that visit hadn't lasted for very long due to time constraints. Another visit was in order, which he knew. Maybe while Frisk was running around in Waterfall, he could sneak out to Hotland and chat with the good doctor about this mess. She may not know much, either, but combined, Sans wasn't all too sure how they might be able to come up with a viable solution. One that would hopefully help Katie, and one that would let everyone rest with ease. His smile tensed, then softened at the thought, and he laid a hand on the tiny child's shoulder, consoling them the way he knew how.

"Yeah, even Katie, Kid."

 _By lying._

* * *

 **Author's Note: This one took a very long time, and for that, I apologize greatly. My muse for this chapter just somehow dwindled, and what with my wrist starting to act up, I wasn't entirely sure how to go about this one. I'm trying to figure out precisely how everything is going to roll together in future chapters, so they will likely be spaced out more over time. Thank you for your continuous support and patience.** _  
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